Under the Crimson Moon - Sequel to Miracle of the Lunar Eclipse
by TeamCarlisle
Summary: Sequel to Miracle of the Lunar Eclipse... Carlisle/Esme & the rest of the Cullen family is getting back normal after they faced off against the Volturi.. new challenges arise between our favorite couples (new & old). Rated T, but there may be a chapter here and there with some "M" fluffy stuff..
1. Intro

**Chapter 1**

Only a few weeks had gone by, but everyone seemed to be adjusting back to their normal lives. Luciana found some days more difficult than others, but Jasper had taken her under his wing and more or less had her on the strait and narrow. She was in the beginning stages of controlling her thirst, and there had been a number of times that heand Alice had to restrain her. The two of them had been staying at the house that Carlisle and Esme had given them, taking care of Luciana in a more segregated place until she was up to speed with the rest of them, though they frequented the main house often.

Seth was constantly checking up Luciana and had moved in with his mother and Charlie, taking over Bella's old room as his own. Leah remained on the reservation at Sue's old house. She let Leah live there free of charge, as long as she continued to take care of it. Masen was frequently disappearing to see her for hours on end, which his siblings attempted to downplay to their parents.

Edward was constantly dodging them, especially Esme, because her questions were becoming more frequent about what her son was up to. He realized it was partially his fault for making his comment to both of them on their way home for the day they'd defeated the Volturi.

Carlisle and Esme met up with each other in the woods after each hunting down their own deer. Neither of them liked leaving the leftover blood of their pray on themselves, so they washed off their arms and faces quickly in a stream along their way home.

"You need to talk with Masen," Esme told her husband.

He turned to her, "Okay. What about?"

"Leah."

Carlisle snickered.

"I'm serious. It's different than the rest of them."

"I didn't mean to laugh," he explained, more seriously, "Why? Do you think he's.."

"Yes," she said before he finished.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows, "You really think so? Did Edward say something?"

Esme shook her head, "Edward has been avoiding me like crazy. And there's just something a little different about Masen and Leah's interaction. I can just tell."

"Different how?"

"They're very... comfortable. I can't explain it really."

"Hmm.." Carlisle looked around, "And what do you want me to say?"

"Well, first of all, there are risks involved between the two of them that doesn't exist with the other kids, or us."

"You mean, like, the risk of having a vampire-werewolf hybrid child?" he said with a laugh.

Esme stared back at him without smiling. He knew right away that she didn't find him at all funny.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I'll speak with him."

"I know it'll be nearly impossible to keep them from being intimate," she said, "He has the mind and body of a twenty year old. You should talk to him about using, you know..."

Carlisle scratched his head and made a face, "Never thought I'd have to go down that road."

"Maybe have Emmett in your corner, too. He looks to him as a brother and a friend. It might be a different angle that he can relate to."

He still looked thoughtful about the situation.

"What are you thinking?" Esme asked.

"Down the road," he said, "What if they did end up with a child. And I do mean way way down the road. I wonder what would come of it. Would it be something like Bella's experience, or would Leah's womb be strong enough to hold a fetus that is half vampire?"

Esme put a hand on her forehead, "Carlisle, I can't think about that right now."

"Sorry," he said again, putting an arm around her.

"I just don't want them to be in a life threatening predicament again if something happened. Nevermind the fact that our son has only been alive for a year. I can continue to name things."

"I'll speak with him, Esme," Carlisle told her, "If you do one thing."

"What's that?"

"Stop asking Edward to read his thoughts."

She smiled and leaned into him, "Okay. Am I driving him that nuts?"

Carlisle held his thumb and finger about an inch apart, "Just a little."


	2. A Mothers Chat

**Chapter 2**

Esme made her way over to Charlie's house to visit Sue. They hadn't had the chance to catch up at all since things had calmed down. A chat was long overdue.

"Is Charlie working?" Esme asked as she entered.

Sue nodded, " Back to the day shift for now. I hope it stays that way." They exchanged a hug and made their way to the kitchen. Sue always offered Esme a cup of tea out of polite habit.

"So, how bad was it?" Sue asked, referring to the battle.

"There were some nerve racking moments," she admitted. The thought Carlisle's neck in Aro's restraint made her shudder, "But I honestly don't think they'll be bothering us again. Seth saved Carlisle's life when he imprinted on Luciana."

"Carlisle almost...?"

Esme tried to shrug nonchalantly and nodded.

A worried look stayed on Sue's face. Esme smiled to lighten the mood back up, "He's fine. Nothing happened. How is Seth doing with everything?"

"It's not the easiest pairing," Sue smiled, "Lucy's afraid to come here because of Charlie."

"Lucy?"

"That's what Seth calls her. She really is trying."

" I know," Esme said, "We all went through that difficult stage. She'll be fine once it becomes a habit."

" I hope so. It makes me uneasy that she wants to kill Charlie," Sue laughed at her bold word choice. Esme laughed too.

" Her thirst will die down soon."

Sue sighed and took a sip of tea, "Leah confided in me the other day. Probably for the first time in her life."

"Oh yeah?"

"About Masen."

"The kids won't tell me anything," Esme said, finding herself overly eager to hear what Sue was about to tell her.

"Well, you're already sitting down, so that's good," Sue told her, trying not smile. She seemed to be hiding behind her cup of tea.

Esme smiled, "I think I'm fully prepared to hear what you're going to say."

Sue shrugged nervously, "What can we really do?"

" I just told Carlisle to have a talk with him the other day. He's just been working double shifts like crazy down at the hospital so he hasn't had the time."

"Just so you know," Sue quieted her voice to a whisper so Seth wouldn't hear her from upstairs, "She's on birth control."

"Will that still work?" Esme whispered back, "Since our kids aren't human?"

They both chuckled at the weirdness of the phrase.

"If anyone heard our conversation, they'd think we're nuts," Sue said, "Outside our families I mean."

"I know," Esme laughed.

"But, anyway, I don't see why it wouldn't work." Sue told her, "Right?"

Esme nodded, "It's what it's made for I suppose."

"How is everyone else in the family? Bella and Edward have stopped down quite a bit lately."

"They're good. I'm glad they've been doing that. I know it means a lot to Charlie, and you."

"Bella was teasing Seth about taking her old room," Sue said with a smile, "I'm so glad things have changed with all of our relationships. I mean, I hated it when there was so much tension. Especially between all the kids."

"Oh, me too," Esme agreed, "After all we've been through all together, I can't imagine it would ever go back to the way it was."

"I hope not," Sue said warmly.

"There will never be tension between Carlisle and I, and you and Charlie."

"I'm glad we've become so close. Maybe we could do a movie some night soon."

Esme nodded, "There are a few good ones out."

"I haven't even checked around for previews or anything." She unfolded a newspaper that sat on the edge of the kitchen table and unfolded it to the movie times section.

The two of them glanced over what was playing in the days to come and made a plan to get together before parting ways.

Upstairs, Seth smirked to himself. At first he'd paid no attention to his mother and Esme's chat downstairs, but realized quickly that he now had leverage to at least tease her with after a recent argument they'd had about him sneaking Luciana to the house while Charlie was out. It was a harmless visit, in Seth's eyes. He simply wanted her to know where he lived and thought it posed no threat because Charlie wasn't home. Leah, on the other hand, strongly disagreed and threatened to tell their mother.

Now, Seth had some ammunition to fire back against his sister, still holding a silly, teenage grudge for her scrapple with him days ago.


	3. Harsh Words

**Chapter 3**

Rosalie walked up to the calendar that hung in the kitchen and slashed a big X through the previous day's date. Seven days away was when the next lunar eclipse would be happening, and she continued to let everyone know the countdown as the days passed.

"Next Friday," she shouted happily through the house.

"We'll all be out of town next Friday," Edward joked, dealing cards to himself, Emmett and Jacob.

Esme looked over from the couch where she sat with Bella and Renesme.

"Here it comes," Emmett laughed, glimpsing over at Jacob. He gave him a confused expression.

On cue, Rosalie walked over and smacked Edward in the back of the head, walking away with a smile as she did so. He continued to deal the cards with a snicker.

Bella made eye contact with him and shook her head at his teasing. Esme eyed Rosalie with a smile and motherly eyes.

"Oh, you heard him say something first," Rosalie told her, laughing.

Since Rosalie realized that the eclispe date was closing in, she'd been much more pleasant and easy going, as she had been the time before.

"I'll wish for you Rose," Jacob said, adjusting his cards in front of his face.

"Thank you Jacob," she told him.

"If it'll keep you from being your old, mean self," he added, "I like the friendly Rosalie better."

Emmett couldn't help but laugh a little, and Edward smiled, looking back to Bella, who continued to scold him with her eyes.

"Leave Rosalie alone," Esme told them.

"She'll kick your ass Emmett, and don't think she won't," Renesme said, making a face at him.

Emmett made a noise and brushed off her comment.

"What do you think?" Rosalie asked, joining the rest of the ladies in the living room, "Is it our time?"

"I hope so," Esme and Bella said at the same time.

"Me too," Renesme agreed.

"I understand that we have a world of time in front of us," Rosalie told them, "But I just want this so bad. And now that I know that the Volturi are at least somewhat out of the picture, it makes me feel even better."

"It'll definitely happen," Bella said to her, "You'll be a great mom."

"Thank you," Rosalie said simply. She looked to Emmett, who was fully focused on the game at hand with Edward and Jacob. For some reason, she felt a light flutter in her heart at that moment, suddenly admiring everything about him.

Renesme picked up on it and raised her eyebrows to Bella with a smile. "He's so dreamy, isn't he?" She joked.

Rosalie turned with a smile and shook her head.

"Everyone wants to go see that Warm Bodies movie tomorrow night," Renesme told them.

"Who's everybody?" Bella asked.

"The boys. Jake, Seth, Masen. I think Emmett agreed to go."

"He mentioned something to me earlier," Rosalie told them.

"I guess we're not invited," Bella said to her daughter with a smile.

"You and Dad can go if you want," Renesme said.

"Thanks for the permission," Bella said sarcastically.

Renesme crinkled her nose at her mother.

"You and Carilsle up for it?" Rosalie asked Esme.

"We'll see. I think we may be getting together with Sue and Charlie soon to see a movie."

"Charlie's even going out to the movies now, wow." Bella said with an honestly happy grin, "I can't believe you've all gotten him to open up."

"We have fun," Esme told her.

Carlisle entered the door, finally back from another long work day. "I'm starting to forget what this place looks like," he said jokingly, throwing his coat on the rack and his shoes to the side.

He greeted everyone and loosened his tie before sitting on a chair across the living room from where everyone else was.

"You want in this game pops?" Emmett called from the table where they were playing cards.

Carlisle shook his head, "I'm alright. Thanks."

A moment later, Masen burst through the door, visibly upset. Everyone focused their attention on him.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked.

"Everyone needs to leave me alone, that's what's wrong," he shouted.

Carlisle stood up and walked over to him, "Don't yell at your mother like that," he said firmly.

"I'm not yelling at Mom," he argued, "I'm just yelling. Everyone's been on my case, looking over my shoulder. Emmett, Mom, Dad, Edward.. "

"Son-"

"No! I just got into an argument with Leah. Seth and everyone's teasing her. All of you guys need to just back off." He seemed to be huffing and puffing.

Edward, Emmett and Jacob all exchanged glances, somewhat nervously.

"I don't know if this is the time and place for this," Carlisle told him calmly.

"Why do you guys have everyone looking after me? No one else gets hastled about their... lives like I do. Not even Nessy and Jake."

"We should have this conversation somewhere more private," his father continued, "But long story short, we want to make sure you're okay. There are risks that are involved with the two of you that the rest of us don't really have."

"Oh yeah, there's absolutely no risks with your actions," Masen said angrily with heavy sarcasm.

Carlisle was shocked at his tone, and everyone continued to remain quiet at the outburst.

"Because from what I can remember," Masen continued, "We were bombarded by Volturi members because of the actions you took when you knocked up Mom! So don't tell me I'm the only one here with risks!" He stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him that left a long crack in the wall.

There was a long silence before Emmett spoke up, "What just happened?"

Esme went to run after him, but Carlisle gently stopped her with an arm around the waist, "Don't," he said calmly, "Let him cool off. He needs some space."

"Carilsle-" she started.

"Give him some space. He'll come to his senses. Following him right now won't do any good," he shook his head, "He'll say more things he'll regret saying later."

Everyone looked at each other, not quite knowing what to say. Carlisle left the room and went up to his office and shut the door.


	4. Apology Accepted

Chapter 4

Masen slowly made his way back to the house, feeling bad about the way he spoke to his father, and how he threw everyone else under the bus in the process of his tantrum. He had spoken with Leah and told her of his outburst. She immediately suggested he go back and apologize to his family, and so he returned, marching through the woods in the heavy rain.

By the time he reached home, he was soaked from head to toe, and immediately removed his shoes and socks as he entered. There was no one in immediate sight but people could be heard talking.

Emmett had heard him enter and was the first to approach him. Masen hung his head, "I'm sorry."

"No worries man," his brother told him, "Doesn't matter much to me. I'd go talk to Dad though. He's kind of kept to himself over the last hour."

Masen nodded.

"He's up in the office."

Masen shuffled up the stairs and knocked lightly on the door, waiting until his father told him to come in.

Carlisle sat behind his desk, reading a book and shifted his eyes to his son.

"Dad," Masen started, "I am really really sorry about what I did. I can't believe I said those things to you," he shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," his father said, tossing the book down.

"No it's not," he said, "I was out of line. I really don't know what came over me. I had a fight with Leah. I just didn't know how to handle it."

"Things are going to happen like this in like. I wish you would have handled it with a little more maturity."

"I know."

Carlisle walked around to the other side of the desk, "You can't let yourself get worked up to that extent, and just lose control like that; fly off the handle."

Masen shook his head again, "I'm really sorry."

"It's alright," he hugged his son, "You just have to make a conscious effort to handle situations the right way as they arise. That's not you, son."

"I know," he said again.

"Go in and apologize to your mother."

Masen left the room with a set of heavy feet.

"And Masen," Carlisle called after him, "I don't want to leave this on a negative note, but don't ever yell back at her again."

"I won't," he said sincerely.

Esme stood over the bed, packing clothes into a suitcase when Masen entered.

"Mom," he said as solumnly as he had to Carlisle.

She looked up, folding a shirt and placing it neatly in the bag.

"I just want to apologize for what I said earlier and for yelling at you the way I did."

"You were way out of line," Esme told him.

"I know," he said with a nod, "I totally lost it. I've never felt so bad in my life. I hope you believe me."

"I do," she told him, "But you have to learn how to handle things more rationally than that."

"I'm really sorry," he said again, and Esme could hear the hint of shame in his voice.

"It's alright," she said, "We just care about you very much, that's why we've been looking after you a little more... and Leah. We don't want to see the two of you in danger."

"I know," he repeated, looking down.

Esme made her way over and hugged him, "I don't want to see you react like that again, or this talk won't be so simple."

Masen nodded, returning the hug, "What are you packing for?"

"Alice and Jasper just called, they're on their over with Luciana. Me, Dad, Edward and Bella agreed to take her across the country to board a plane to Italy. I mentioned it to you earlier in the week."

"Oh yeah" he said with a hint of disappiontment in his voice.

Esme let a little smile form on her face, "You're forgiven, Masen."

"I know," he sighed, "I just feel bad."

"You can make it up to me by helping me fold these clothes," she said with a smile.

Masen smiled back and helped his mother pack their bags.

"You're more than welcome to come with us," she told him.

A smile escaped his lips and he shrugged, "I think the rest of us are going to see that movie tonight instead."

"Oh, the zombie one?"

Masen laughed, "Yeah."

"Okay, well if you change your mind, we're going to leave by ten."

"Alright," he said, tossing a few pairs of socks into the suitcase, "I love you. I won't act like a jerk again."

Esme nudged him with a smile, "You better not."


	5. The Test

**Chapter 5**

"I see her getting to Aro safely," Alice told Carlisle as they packed up the car.

"You're sure?" he asked, "No issues on the plane?"

She shook her head, "No."

"We think she's at about the point that I was not all that long ago," Jasper assured him, "I've been able to read her well. She seems like she's in full control. I wouldn't suggest she go if she wasn't ready." He looked at Alice, "I was going to take the plane ride with her, but Alice wouldn't let me."

"I don't trust them," she whispered, referring to the Volturi.

"We'll stay on the east coast until we get word that she made it in safely," Carlisle explained.

Esme looked to Alice, "Keep an extra eye on Masen for me if you wouldn't mind."

Alice winked, "No problem. They're all out at a movie right?"

She nodded.

"Okay. House to ourselves Jas!"

Edward and Bella chuckled. Luciana walked up to them and gave them each a long hug.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're very welcome," Alice said to her, as Jasper said the same. "Was your temporary goodbye with Seth long enough?" she laughed.

"I guess so," she said with an almost shy smile, "I'm nervous. I know how you all and my father don't exactly..."

"Things will be just fine," Alice said in an upbeat manner, "Enjoy your time with him."

Everyone exchanged hugs and the five of them headed for New York. Bella, Edward and Luciana crammed in the back, while Carlisle drove with Esme in the passenger seat.

"Ready for the big city?" Edward asked Luciana with a warm smile.

She nodded, "Here we go."

Edward locked his fingers with Bella's and he kissed her on the cheek, "Time to tour the country."

They drove strait through, stopping occasionally to take pictures at Bella, Esme and Luciana's request. The three of them talked about creating a photo album when they returned home.

Hunting became intersting, as Bella found herself trying new kinds of food for the first time as they crossed from the western part of the U.S., through the midwest and eventually over to the east. Edward found it amusing, watching her distaste of certain animals, while others she wished were closer to Forks. Luciana was having similar experiences, and her satisfaction from the animal blood gave everyone an extra sense of relief.

"Promise you'll wait for me to get back to put the scrap book together?" Luciana asked, finding the long car ride to be a great opportunity to open up with the rest of the Cullen family.

"We promise," Esme told her, "I won't even develop them until you get back."

"Okay," she said with a smile.

Their final picture came at the New York border, as Bella asked if they could get out and take the last photo together under the giant sign that read "Welcome To New York."

Edward exited the car with the three of them, snapping a photo quickly before they made their way to their final destination: JFK Airport.

Carlisle found himself walking a little extra close to Luciana as they made the rounds to check her baggage and then to the gate, still leery of her ability to control herself around humans. Jasper had assured him that he'd taken her on plenty of trial trips around Seattle and Forks and she'd never come close to losing it.

"She's okay Carlisle," Edward whispered, "I can see her thoughts. She's fine."

He nodded, remaining close by regardless.

"That's it," Luciana said, pointing to a sign.

"They're boarding already," Bella pointed out.

Luciana sighed and looked at all of them as they made their way toward the tunnel that lead down to the plane. "Well, this is it."

Esme hugged her tightly, fully enjoying the talks and pictures they'd taken on the way over, "Please be careful and call us when you land, okay?"

"I will," she promised, before hugging each of them goodbye, "Can you please tell Seth I'll get in touch with him as much as I can. I'll only been gone for a week or so."

"We will," Bella assured her, "Don't worry."

"Thanks," Luciana told them. Her eyes were fully golden, and she had small bottles of extra deer blood in her carry on in case of emergencies.

"You have the extra bottles, right?" Edward asked.

She nodded and tapped her bag, "Yep."

Esme handed her the digital camera and gave her a magazine she picked up on the walk through the airport, "Take some more pictures if you'd like, or look through the old ones when you're on the plane."

"You don't have to do that," Luciana told her.

"It's fine. Take more."

Luciana nodded again, "Thank you. Hopefully this ride goes well and I can take the multi stop plane back on my own. Thanks for driving me all the way out here."

"You're family now, Luciana," Carlisle told her, "It's what we do."

She smiled at him and said her final goodbyes before disappearing past the ticket collector and into the tunnel.

Carlisle looked around at everyone, "I guess this is the big test."

"I think she'll do fine," Edward said reassuringly, "Honestly."

His father nodded, "Well, we still have a little drive until we get upstate. I booked a hotel there because I figured it'd be much easier to hunt. We can return home when Luciana calls from Italy. That way, in case something were to... go wrong.. we'll be a lot closer."

"Alice said she'll be fine," Edward said again.

"I know. I'm sure she will."

Esme reached in Carlisle's coat pocket and grabbed they keys, "I'll drive the rest of the way."

He nodded and the four of them hit the road.

Lucianna sat on the plane, listening to the instructions that were being said over the speakers. She buckled her seatbelt and turned off her cell phone, closing her eyes. A lean man in a business suit sat next to her, smiling once, before throwing on a set of head phones.

Little does he know what I could do right now, Luciana thought to herself. They bumped elbows and the man politely smiled before becoming lost in his music again. Luciana looked around nervously and reached in her pocket for her own Ipod that Jasper and Alice bought her before they'd left. Music she'd picked out began playing and she flipped on the digital camera to look at the pictures from their road trip, smiling herself as she did so.

I won't kill anyone, Luciana thought hard to herself, I won't kill anyone on this plane.


	6. Oops!

**Chapter 6**

Carilsle and Edward carried the bags up the seven flights of stairs to where they seemed to walk around a number of twists and turns until they got to their hotel rooms.

"Alice just texted me," Edward told them, "She's still seeing Luciana getting to Italy safely with no problems." He showed his parents the message and they both nodded.

"And Jasper said she'll be fine," Bella added.

"I'm sure it will work out fine," Esme said.

Carlisle nodded, "If either of you need to hunt, do it now. I'd like to keep it just at night if it's possible while we're here."

Bella nodded and Edward opened the door to their room, tossing the bags inside. Carlisle and Esme waved goodnight and made their way a few doors down.

They began unpacking the few bags they packed. Esme pulled out her shampoo and turned to Carlisle, "You didn't pack my conditioner?"

"I thought I did," he told her.

He helped her shuffle through the bags before he shrugged, "I guess I didn't."

She smiled and sighed.

"Well, won't just the shampoo work for a few days?"

"Carlisle, my hair will be in knots," she said with a laugh, "You guys don't have that problem." She messed up his hair and he grinned at her.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she headed for the door.

"The front desk. They'll have the little bottles. I'm sure they have one up here but it won't be enough."

"Can you wait a little while?" he smiled and quickly pulled her back over to him.

Esme laughed, "It'll take five minutes."

"Hmm," Carlisle said, positioning himself behind her, clutching her earlobe in his teeth.

"Edward and Bella," she said, pointing toward the wall.

He breathed heavily on her, "I think we've mastered the art of being quiet."

Esme thought back as he proceeded to kiss her neck. The last time they'd been together was well over a month ago when they were on the side of the road in the snowstorm. She turned and kissed him with purpose, and momentarily, he sat down on the edge of the bed with Esme in his lap. She undid the buttons on his shirt and pushed him until he was on his back, kissing his chest and making her way to just below his belly button.

When she suddenly stopped and stood up, he lifted his head, "Why'd you-"

"I have to get my conditioner," she teased, "I'll be back in five minutes."

Carlisle smiled at her with an almost painful expression, "I suppose it's my fault for forgetting it."

Esme nodded and made her way back to him, landing another kiss on his lips, "I'll be right back." She flashed him a seductive smile as she left the room.

She made her way through the hotel, which seemed to take longer than she remembered, before reaching the front desk. The man at the counter handed her several bottles of conditioner, before she made her way back up in the elevator.

Moments later, Bella paraded down the stairs with the same problem. She'd forgotten both hair products and the same gentleman offered a polite smile and handfuls of shampoo and conditioner. She looked down at the two keys on the counter, one of which was hers. She thought for a second before grabbing the closest one to her and headed back upstairs.

The elevator reached the second floor when Esme realized she'd forgotten her room key at the desk and hit the next button to go back down, slightly annoyed at herself. When she reached the front desk again, she grabbed the key that was left there and returned to the elevator.

Bella walked down the winding corridor and tried to slide the card in what she thought what her room. When the light kept flickering red, she looked down at the room number that was written on the card and realized they didn't match up. She walked a few more feet and the door clicked open. She shook her head at herself.

"What'd you get lost?" A male voice called to her.

Bella squinted her eyes, taking an extra second to realize it wasn't Edward. She rounded the corner to where Carlisle sat bare chested with his back against the headboard. A white sheet was pulled up to his waist, covering his lower body, though it didn't do much to hide his level of arrousal.

Her jaw dropped and she could see Carlisle's similar stunned expression. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds, until it truly registered that neither of them were facing who they were expecting to.

He threw the heavy comforter over his lap and Bella turned away, "Oh my God, I am so sorry Carlisle," she said with embaressment, now looking down at the room key in her hand.

Carlisle was confused and didn't know what to say.

Bella continued to try to look the other way, but made eye contact with him briefly, "My card didn't work. I thought I had the wrong room. It worked here." She knew she wasn't making any sense. At the same time, both of them heard Edward's laugh from the other room. Bella looked back at Carlisle, "I'm so sorry," she said again before returning to the hall way, where Esme and Edward stood a couple doors away, both laughing.

They looked at her as she stumbled out of Carlisle and Esme's room.

"You guys must have accidentally switched room keys at the front desk," Edward said with a grin.

Bella still looked stunned, and embaressed, "Uh, here," she handed the card back to Esme and Edward took the one for their room.

Edward and Esme exchanged glances and looked at Bella, who laughed nervously.

"What?" Edward asked.

She shook her head, "Just an embaressing mix up." She headed past Edward into their room. He shrugged and Esme opened the correct door.

Carlisle looked cautiously as Esme made her way back to him.

"What happened?" she asked with a laugh, "Bella looked like she saw a ghost."

"I wish she had," he said, looking down. He returned his eyes to Esme and pulled the top cover off.

Esme put a hand over her mouth and laughed, "Poor Bella."

They both listened to the conversation from the other room and heard Edward making jokes. "Well Bella, he probably won't make eye contact with you until we hit at least Ohio on the ride back."


	7. Fun Uncle Caius

**Sorry all.. posted chapters 4-7 kind of quickly.. hope you have time to read them all :)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Luciana downed the animal blood she'd be given by Edward as she made her way toward her former home in Italy's underground streets.

Alec welcomed her at their gates and she felt overly nervous as she prepared to greet her father. The trip through the tunnels seemed to take forever, but they finally reached the open stone door that lead to his throne.

"Luciana!" he called as she entered, happy as ever to see her, "You've gotten so big."

She nodded, "I'm sorry I've caused you to miss some time with me."

"Nonsense," he continued to smile and gave her a hug, taking an extra long look at her beaming gold eyes. She found herself wishing in that moment that she could read his every thought, as he could hers.

"Eyes of gold," Aro stated.

"Yes," Luciana said, "It hasn't been an easy task."

"And you traveled by plane to get here?"

"Yes," she repeated.

"My, you have certainly mastered the art of control. Carlisle is certainly a miracle worker."

"I've actually spent most of my time with Jasper and Alice," she raised her hand so he could read into her life over the past three weeks.

When he let her hand go, he looked at her, "How I wish you could stay here, closer."

"So do I," Luciana told him, "I miss you. Though now that I'm here, I miss Seth as well."

"I'd never make you choose," Aro assured her.

She nodded, "I know."

"It's such a shame," Jane said from against a side wall, "You wouldn't have been a great asset to our coven."

Luciana felt streams of guilt travel through her body. "I'm sorry."

"How's the boy wonder?" Caius asked sarcastically, referring to Masen.

"Masen?"

He scowled, "Yes."

"He's... fine."

Caius was visibly still bitter about losing his head in the battle, seeming for some reason to be even more angry at the fact that Masen had to put him back together.

"How do you find living off of animal blood?" Jane asked dryly.

Luciana shrugged, "It was hard at first, but I've gotten used to it."

"I see."

"Well, what shall we have for meals while you're here?" Aro asked, "I don't believe I'd be able to get accustomed to wildlife. I hope you don't mind."

Caius made a face of disgust behind Aro's back.

"Your eyes are blackened," Luciana pointed out.

He nodded, "It is about time for a meal for me."

"I just, uh, ate."

"I'll accompany you, Aro," Jane said, "It's time for me to feed, as well."

He looked back at his daughter, "I hate to be so brief, but would you mind if I left for a half hour?"

Luciana shook her head, "Not at all. I'll be here when you return."

They exchanged a hug again before Aro and Jane disappeared from their lair.

Luciana stood facing Caius and Marcus.

"You truly do miss your father," Marcus spoke, "I can feel it. As he does you."

"It's been difficult adjusting to life without him."

"He's your... flesh and blood."

Caius approached with a certain softness that he didn't typically possess, "I'm sure it's been a difficult transition with your meal choices," he smiled kindly, "But think of us like humans would fun uncles. We're suppose to spoil you when you visit."

Luciana smiled, fully falling into his charming trap.

"You see, while you're here, maybe Felix and I could spoil you a bit. Take you out for a real meal. A good, satisfying hunt."

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"You don't have to," he smiled again, "But I figured since you're only around once in a while, it wouldn't pose for too much harm."

Marcus sat silently, knowing of Caius's devious intentions.

Luciana shifted her eyes to him, then back to Caius.

"It'd be like old times," Alec joined in, "I mean, you're on a sort of vacation, right?"

She smiled at their surprising 'welcome back' intentions. "I suppose I am."

Caius continued to smile, trying to hide the devilish expression that was unwillingly forming on his face, "I can see you've recently eaten. So maybe tonight, if your father allows it. Just one yummy snack, then you can get back to your... diet."

Luciana battled in her mind about the decision at hand. She knew how long it had taken her to get to the point that she was currently in, though thought to herself that one time wouldn't be the end of the world. She truly did look at Caius as an uncle, and thought to herself that he never steered her in the wrong direction throughout her short lifespan. Her mind pulled her in two different directions, but Caius's warm smile won her over.

"I guess I'm not here very often," she agreed, "I miss you Caius."

"Oh, we all miss you," he told her enthusiastically, "Remind me of your favorite places to hunt. We'll take a group trip."

She nodded, "Alright."

Caius smiled and patted her on the back, winking across the room at Felix as he turned his back to her.

The Cullens will have a whole new situation on their hands when Luciana returns, he thought to himself.

"Welcome back, Luciana," Felix said with a wide smile.

"Thanks," she said warmly, "I'm glad to be back."

"Back home," Felix said, finishing her sentence.

She smiled and nodded, unsure of where home really was.


	8. Freedom

**Chapter 8**

Carlisle, Esme, Bella and Edward made their way back to Forks upon hearing of Luciana's arrival. Edward could see that his parents' thoughts were simliar, both wondering what would come of the experience with Aro. Would she return with red eyes or gold? Would she feel obligated to stay in Italy? Hundreds of questions ran through their minds.

Bella sat quietly in the back seat, and Edward assumed she had the same thoughts running through her head. "Thinking about Luciana?" He asked softly.

She nodded, taking her gaze from out the window to meet his, "I'm sure she'll be okay. Alice hasn't given us any more updates?"

He put an arm around her, "No news is good news."

Esme turned to them and smiled, "I think she'll be okay, too."

Her words made both of them feel better.

Carlisle put on the blinker and got off the next exit. When he felt everyone's eyes on him, he simply said, "Gas station," before pulling into a Mobile station just off the ramp. Esme handed him their debit card from her purse and he got out to pump.

"Want a slurpy for the road?" Edward joked.

Esme and Bella both chuckled.

"Carlisle's a man of few words these days," he said to them with a grin.

Bella shook her head at him then looked at Esme, "He's not... mad at me.. is he?"

She laughed a little harder, "No. He's not mad at you at all Bella."

Edward couldn't keep a smile from him face, "He's just very... reserved."

Carlisle tapped he pump and put it back on the rack and started up the car. As they pulled back onto the highway, he pointed to a large blue sign that read: Ohio Welcomes You. "Hey Edward, we're in Ohio," he said, referring to the joke they heard Edward tell days before, "I can start talking to Bella again."

The three of them laughed, and realized he'd apparently heard their conversation while he was out of the car. He turned his head quickly and raised his eyebrows at Bella to break the awkwardness that had lingered around them for days, before linking his hand with Esme's. She laughed, glad to know that he hadn't been mad at her.

"Well, I hope the house is in good one piece," Esme said.

"Doubt it," Edward told her. He slid an arm around Bella and tried to enjoy the scenery.

Masen was completely loving his momentary freedom in Forks while his parents were away, as well as Edward. There was no one there to follow him around, or read his mind on a daily basis. He and Emmett caused a little trouble, but more or less had some harmless fun around the house.

He and Leah made their way deep into the woods to a quaint little pond with a small overhanging waterfall, streaming from a bigger river. It was well past midnight, and the two of them hadn't seen each other for most of the day. He'd been hunting at almost the Canadian border with Emmett when the two of them got bored, and she had to meet with the rest of the pack for a few hours earlier.

The pond was decorated with a snowy border, and would have given any human chills up their back. It was a place they had made their own, much Edward and Bella's meadow. No one in their families, to their knowledge, knew where their secret place was.

Masen grinned to Leah as they approached and did a cannon ball that made a huge splash.

She laughed at his playful actions and stood on the side with her hands on her hips.

"Come in," he said, slicking his hair back, "Water's warm."

"All water is warm to us," she said, still grinning.

"Can't argue with you there."

His perfect teeth and dimples seemed to brighten up the night sky, both of which were highlighted by his beautiful golden eyes. He took off his soaked shirt and tossed it onto the bank, leaving his muscular upper body visible in the moonlight.

Leah squatted down where the water met the land, admiring everything about him.

"Well if you're going to play hard to get..." he started, before disappearing under the water. He reappeared far away on the other side of the pond.

"Mase," Leah said.

"Leah," he said back in a lighthearted manner.

She took off running to where he was, and the two of them played a quick game of cat and mouse before he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in the water.

"It's a good thing I wore my old shoes," she said with a laugh, pushing hair out of her eyes.

Masen dipped beneath the water and removed both of her shoes, throwing them onto the bank. Leah continued to laugh and giggle.

"You know," he said to her, "I can't imagine how you went so long without laughing. I love it when you laugh."

Leah's expression turned slightly more serious, "Well I didn't have much to laugh about before."

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I'm sorry you had to go through something that hurt you so much."

She bowed her head and a smile slowly spread on her face, "That was the past," she told him, "Things are a lot better now."

"You'll never have to feel like that again." Masen tucked some stay hairs behind her ears and kissed her urgently.

Leah pulled away for a moment, "Promise?"

He nodded and looked into her eyes, "I promise. I love you."

"I love you too," she told him, then added, "Please don't ever leave me."

Masen shook his head, "I'll never leave you." He leaned in and kissed her more gently this time, sensing that was more of what she was looking for.

Leah wrapped her arms around his neck and found herself feeling completely loved and respected in Masen's gentle embrace.

"When are your parents coming home?" she asked with a snicker.

Masen unwillingly pulled back, "I guess tomorrow some time," he smiled, "But they don't know about this place, so..." He moved his mouth back to hers, and Leah smiled as they continued to make out in their newly claimed love nest.


	9. The Crimson Moon

**Chapter 9**

It was finally the day of the next lunar eclipse. Rosalie was overly eager, reminding her family members to wish for them. Emmett was quieter than usual, knowing there was a lot of pressure on him from Rose, whether she acknowledged it or not.

"I really hope this is it," Esme told her daughter with a long hug, "No one deserves it more. We'll all be wishing for you."

They decided not to gather as a big group, as they had the time before, thinking it may have added unnecessary pressure on both of them. Their family went about their nightly routines, and tried to act nonchalant about the situation, though everyone assured Rosalie that they would come through with their promises.

Masen shook hands with Emmett and pulled him in for a hug, "We'll all be wishing for you."

"Thanks, man," Emmett told him.

Rosalie was practically tugging on Emmett's sleeve to get going to their own private house. She was fully convinced that the things would work out for them this time.

As they left the house, and were far enough away where everyone was sure they wouldn't hear their conversations, everyone began talking immediately.

"What about the two of you?" Edward asked, "Would you ever want to try for a couple kids of your own?"

Jasper smiled and looked at Alice, "I think we're comfortable being the cool aunt and uncle for now."

Alice nodded in agreement, "Some day we'll go for it. But not right now."

"Well, like the last time, "Carlisle started, "All we can do is hope for the best." He put an arm around Esme and kissed her temple.

"They really deserve it," Leah said. She looked at Masen and smiled.

"I know," he agreed.

Seth had been lingering alone in the background of their conversations, looking a little mopey.

"Have you heard from Lucy?" Esme asked him.

He shook his head, "Not since yesterday."

"I'm sure she's just spending time with her father," she said reassuringly. "She should be boarding a plane back here in a few days."

"I know," he said with an unhappy smile, "I'm just worried about her over there... with them."

Esme broke apart from Carlisle to put an arm around Seth's shoulders, "Let me make you some hot chocolate and something to eat."

He forced another smile and followed her into the kitchen.

"When's she coming back?" Bella asked.

"She should be on the plane by mid day Sunday," Carlisle told her, "She was confident she'd be able to do the connector flight on her own."

"What do you think?" Edward asked, already knowing.

Carlisle looked toward the kitchen, leery of Seth overhearing, "I think there's a... good possibility she'll be okay."

"I may go out to New York myself and just bring her back by foot," Jasper said, "After she gets through with the first plane ride."

"We'll see," Alice said with a smile, "She may be alright."

Jasper smiled and let Alice sink into his shoulder.

"How's your brother been holding up?" Carlisle asked Leah.

She shrugged, "Okay I guess. Kind of like he is now since she's been gone."

He nodded.

Jacob pointed out the window, "Look." He lead the way outside and everyone followed.

The full moon was beginning to turn to a dull crimson, illuminating the dark sky.

Alice whipped out her phone and took a picture, "It's so pretty."

Esme and Seth joined them all momentarily, and shared as the moon began to take color.

"I suppose a few of us should start wishing," Alice told them. She closed her eyes and mouthed the words. Jasper looked over at her and smiled, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Everyone stood with their significant other, and Carlisle motioned for Esme to join him.

She motioned to Seth with a closed mouth smile, not wanting to leave him alone. Carlisle nodded back to her subtly and glanced back up at the sky.

Seth took a sip of the hot chocolate and looked at Esme, "Thanks," he said, "And I really hope Rose and Emmett get their wish."

"Me too," she said, "And just know that even though she's far away, Lucy is under the same sky. She'll be home soon."

Seth nodded, feeling slightly better and looked upward, "Yeah."

Leah put a soft hand on her brother's shoulder and he offered her a sip of his drink. She politely declined and stuck her tounge out at him playfully to try lightening his mood some more. His small smile satisfied her.

Bella looked over to Alice and Jasper. No one had turned their focus on them, so she nudged Edward and pointed.

Alice stared blankly into space, and at that moment they both knew she was having a vision. Edward looked intently at her, and Bella waited for him to say what he could read from her thoughts. She looked around, seeing no one else noticed.

"What is it?" Bella whispered to Edward. She couldn't tell from his expression of it was good or bad.

Everyone turned and looked at them in unison.

Alice was still in her daze, so the questions began to bounce off Edward.

"What?" Masen asked, "What did Alice see?"

Before he could answer, Seth joined in, "Is it bad? Is it about Rose and Emmett, or Lucy?"

The anticipation on everyone's faces around him made Edward sort of giggle. Alice's mind snapped back to the present time and she looked at everyone waiting for a response.

"Let Alice tell you," Edward said, grinning at Bella.

"Tell you all what?" she joked.

"Alice..." Carlisle began to plead.

She looked over at Jasper, "Well," she smiled, "I guess that didn't take long."

"What?" Seth asked.

"Rose is going to have a baby."


	10. Temptations

**Chapter 10**

Luciana bid a solumn fairwell to her father, though was eager to get back to her old lifestyle. She had been mixing her food choices, finding it hard to say no to Caius when he asked her to go along to hunt with him. Then day before she had fed on human blood with Aro, as well. In between the blood thirsty lapses, she was able to find the place inside of her that Jasper had engrained in her mind, and chose on her own to feed on only animals when she hunted alone.

Her eyes were an odd combination of gold and red, though she made sure she filled up completely on some wildlife in the Italian countryside before heading to the airport. She wandered for miles before she arrived, twitching with uneasiness at the planes taking off from the runways.

The small amount of luggage she had in tow was filled with a countless number of blood filled bottles, all of which were from animals. She knew the ride home would be far tougher than her ride in.

As she walked through the doors, the aroma was enticing. Men, women and children passed by at distances that Luciana thought were far too close. No one paid her much attention in their travels. She gripped her throat and tried not to suck in any of the stuffy air that lingered in the wide corridors of the airport.

She quickly checked her baggage, before making her way down to where her plane would shortly take off. Along the way, she picked up a number of magazines to keep her occupied, and continued to replay Jasper's words of widsom in her mind.

Luciana removed her cell phone from her carry on and punched in Alice's number, hoping to find some type of comfort in her words. When it went to voicemail after several rings, she dialed Jasper's. Much to her pleasure, he picked up on the second ring.

"I'm feeling anxious," she told him without saying hello.

"You can do it," his voice came from the other line, "Try not to breath in."

"I know. I'm not. I just," she sighed, "Jasper, I had both types of blood while I was here, mostly animals, but Caius took me out, and so did my father."

There was a brief pause on the other end, before he continued speaking, "What color are your eyes?"

"Reddish gold," she told him, "More gold."

She heard him and Alice whispering to each other before he spoke again, "If you think even for a second that you can't control it, leave. Wait it out a few days and catch a later flight in. You have the debit card we gave you right?"

"Yes," she told him, "I-I don't know what to do. I think it's all in my head."

"Only you can really decide," Jasper's voice told her, "I can meet you in New York and the two of us can go back home by foot. Do you think you can make it through the first flight?"

"Yeah," she told him, then hushed her voice to a whisper, "And I have about ten bottles of blood with me."

"Have one now," he told her, then questioned, "Animal blood right?"

"Animal blood, yes," she whispered again.

"Alice says you should be able to make it here. Her visions can change, but so far she sees you getting to New York safely. But you have to ration out the blood on your way."

"Okay," she told him, "Okay. I'm going to board the plane."

"Drink a bottle first. Go to the rest room."

"Alright. Thank you, Jasper," she said, "I'm going to do that now. I feel better."

"But Lucy," he said, "If you're feeling at all like you could lose control, stay behind and leave a few days from now."

"I can do it," she assured him, "I'm going to the bathroom now, then I'm going to board."

"Okay," he said, "Be safe. It's not too late to turn around, though, remember that. None of us will think any different, and Seth will be here regardless of when you get back."

"I know. I think I'm good."

"When you're one hundred percent sure, then board the plane. Don't go if you're ninety nine percent."

"Okay," she said to him, "I'm okay."

"Call us if you change your mind, and if we don't hear from you in a half hour, we'll know you got on the plane. Be safe."

"I will, thanks. I'll be home soon."

Luciana hung up the phone, feeling slightly better after their conversation. She made her way into the confined walls of the bathroom and entered a stall, pulling out a baby bottle filled with blood. She downed it quickly and let an approving gasp leave her mouth. She felt good. She felt ready.

After regaining her composure after the temporary high from her meal, she made her way toward the gate, making it a point not to breath in. The man at the ticket line smiled and waved her through as she handed him her ticket and made her way to the plane.

It was tightly cramped - moreso than she'd remembered from her ride in. People were walking down the isle, tossing bookbags and gym bags into the overhead compartment. Luciana found her seat number and plopped down next to the window. She was thankful for the position of her seat, hoping the scenery could provide her some added distractions.

For a few minutes, no one sat down in the two empty seats beside her, and she greatly wished it would stay that way. She checked her watch every few minutes, hoping the familiar monotone voice would ring through the speakers and give them the rundown before the plane took off to the United States.

"Nervous?" A young man asked with an English accent, sitting down next to Luciana.

She glanced over at him, startled by the fact that someone had talked to her. It was the last thing she wanted. "Uh, no. I mean a little," she responded.

"Don't be," he assured her, "I've flied dozens of times before. We're completely safe."

If by safe you mean stuck in a potential flying mass grave with a newly trained vampire, Luciana thought to herself. She smiled politely and nodded.

"I'm going to the States to play soccer," he continued, showing her a patch on his jacket, "Got a big tournament in North Carolina. You like soccer?"

Luciana shrugged, "Sure. A little."

"We've got the greatest 18 and under team there is," he told her, "I even got out of high school earlier to come here and play. I'm suppose to graduate in June."

"You must be the next David Beckham," she told him, remembering the reference from the boys back in Forks.

He smiled, "I suppose I could be. What grade are you in?"

Luciana thought for a second, "I'm a freshman."

"Do you play any sports?"

She shook her head, "Not on any teams."

A voice came over the loud speaker and rattled off the typical instructions. Luciana buckled her seat belt and put her phone in the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt.

"Ready for take off?" the talkative boy asked.

She nodded, somewhat glad to have someone to talk to, though some of her responses accompanied inhaling the scents of the people around her. A bigger part of her hoped he'd throw on a pair of headphones and keep to himself.

The plane started rolling back, and Luciana suddenly felt a little burn in her throat. Her nostrils flaired and she had to try overly hard not to let an animalistic hiss escape her lips. Someone's blood was calling her. She couldn't pinpoint who or where, but someone on the plane had an enticing aroma that echoed off the walls and windows of the airplane. Luciana's hands clutched the arm rests.

The boy next to her laughed, "Don't be nervous," he said with a friendly chuckle.

His laugh seemed to cross through her body in slow motion. It was as if she'd just taken drugs and his normal voice turned deep and taunting and slow. The nails on her right hand dug into the plastic and she curled her toes. She tried everything in her power not to breath in even the slightest amount of air.

"You alright?" he asked, now a slightly concerned.

Luciana nodded fiercely, "Just nervous," she choked out, "This happened last time." The last thing she wanted was him to call over a flight attendant and draw more attention to herself. Everything began to feel heavy - her clothes, her shoes, her mind. She told herself to block everything out, but the mystery person's blood taunted her. She felt her eyes begin to swell and blacken.

She reached down for her bag full of animal blood and began to stand up to use the bathroom.

A stewardess walked by and smiled at her, "You'll have to wait until we're up in the air. It'll only be about ten minutes. The captain will make an announcement."

Luciana tried her best not to glare at the woman.

"Eat some bad food?" the boy joked, finally throwing on a pair of headphones.

"Uh, yeah, maybe," Luciana said to him. She scanned the plane and suddenly knew the culprit that was the object of her madness. A handsome man in his forties with olive skin and dark eyes. He was surely Italian, and Luciana looked at him like a human would a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs after not eating for weeks. She found the will to sit back down and strapped the belt back over her lap, subtly licking her lips at the thought of tasting his blood.

The ten minutes went by like a decade. Luciana grinded her teeth until the captain finally made his annoucement and she bolted for the bathroom, practically jumping over her soccer playing neighbor.

In the small stall, she pried open two bottles of blood and drank each of them dry, longing for more. Jasper's words rung in her ears: ration the blood. They had barely left the ground and she already was several bottles down.

Luciana looked at her relfection in the mirror. Blood dripped from her mouth and she looked restless. How am I ever going to make it through this flight, she thought to herself.


	11. Six Weeks and Three Days

_**About to go buy Breaking Dawn part II! Having a Twilight party with my best friend while my fiance is at work (he's not that into it, but he is a good sport haha) ... And just for fun, anyone want to suggest some baby names for Emmett/Rosalie's child?... send me some PM's or whatever you want.. I think it'd be kinda fun!**_

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**Chapter 11**

Esme sat on the small seat in front of her mirror in the corner of her bedroom. She applied some eye liner, though didn't exactly know why because she'd just showered after an hour of hunting. She tried to look somewhat cute in her pink bathrobe for when Carlisle got home, though for some reason wanted to appear as though she wasn't trying at all.

She finished blowdrying her hair when he walked in from another double shift at the hospital.

"Hey," he waved to her from across the room, before making his way to the closet to put his shoes and tie away.

"How was your day?" Esme asked him, crossing one leg over the other and facing him.

"Fine," he said, "Yours?"

"Mine was good."

Carlisle smiled, "That's good." He headed into the bathroom and she saw him toss his work clothes to the side as the shower went on.

Esme sighed, secretly hoping he would have tried to be a little romantic seeing as the kids were all down at the reservation for a celebration. After hearing that Billy, nor Charlie and Sue, were going to attend, she decided to stay back herself and wait for Carlisle to get out of work.

She turned back to the mirror and began applying eye liner to the other eye, before making her way to the window. The moon wasn't completely full, though it did a good job of illuminating the night sky. Esme played with a necklace and stared into the sky with a smile, thinking of how happy Rosalie was when Alice broke the news to her.

All of them had shown their support, taking turns feeling her stomach when the baby finally kicked earlier in the day. It was the final confirmation that Rosalie needed to accept the fact that she was actually pregnant. The look on her face was one that Esme would never forget, and she hoped it would fill the void in her daughter's life.

She scooted downstairs to clean up a few things that she remembered were left out in everyone's rush to meet up with the Quileutes. There were sneakers kicked randomly across the floor, and a couple of sweatshirts that Masen and Emmett had just tossed to the side. A smile spread across her face as she grabbed Masen's, picturing him wearing it earlier in the day as he put his ear to Rosalie's stomach. Esme found herself so grateful for the little joys her family was able to give her.

She made her way to everyone's rooms, despersing their belongings before heading back upstairs to possibly try curling her hair in new ways. It was something she liked to do to pass the time. A curling iron sat already plugged in on the dresser and she clicked it on, waiting for it to heat up.

Carlisle's shower died down and within a few minutes she saw him exit the bathroom with a white towel wrapped securely around his waist. He shuffled around the room, grabbing a pair of sweats from a drawer and tossing them to the bed.

Esme sensed the curling iron was ready and went to reach for it. Carlisle quickly got to her and caught her hand before she could. She smiled and saw him cuddle her close to him in the mirror. His hand traveled down her stomach beneath the fabric of her bathrobe and rested gently on the lowest part of her abdomen. He wrapped the other arm around her and brought his lips to the side of her face with his eyes closed.

Esme smiled and closed her eyes as she let his hands roam slowly over her upper body. A few seconds past before the robe shifted off of her shoulders and she could feel the damp skin from Carlisle's chest pressed firmly against her back.

She let out a soft moan at his tender touches, one which he returned.

"I was hoping you'd do something like this," she admitted, "We never had our chance at the hotel after the key mishap." She opened her eyes and saw he still had his eyes closed as his lips made their way from her face, down her neck to her shoulders.

"It's been awhile," he finally said.

"Mmm," she said in response, "I can't even remember how long it's been."

"Six weeks and three days," he pulled her closer to him.

Esme's eyes fluttered open again, "Really?"

"Uh huh," he said, pushing her robe down off of her waist.

She turned to face him and brought her lips hard to his. He undid the towel he had on and wrapped her in it with him, linking them together almost immediately. Esme could tell from his lack of hesitation and the way he was kissing her that he needed it as much as she did.

Carlisle grabbed under her legs and carried her to the bed, never separating himself from her.

Esme sighed as his tounge danced on her collar bone. She laid back and engrained in her mind every move he made, inhaling his scent with five or six deep breaths. She felt intoxicated.

"Es... God," Carlisle rarely took the Lord's name in vain. He dug his fingers into her back and assertively brought her mouth back to his before sinking his head toward her shoulder. Esme moaned in his ear, fully in the moment that she'd been waiting for, for some time. She closed her eyes, longing for him more every time he lunged forward.

She could tell he when he was getting to his breaking point from the way headboard consistently hit the wall at a more rapid pace. She egged him on with the slight twists and turns of her body, attempting to feel what he was about to at the same time.

Carlisle felt his hand subconsciously slam into the headboard, sending shards of wood everywhere, as if he had no control of the action. Esme hadn't paid much attention, lost in the moment, until both of them laid quietly, still entwined in the empty house. She looked upward at the shattered wood and noticed pieces all around them. A small laugh rippled through her chest, and Carlisle moved slightly to rest his head near her shoulder. He let out a sigh in her ear.

Esme cradled his head and neck with her arms protectively. "Now that Rosalie's pregnant, would you ever want to try for another one?"

"Mm," he said briefly.

She didn't know if he meant yes or no from the response.

Carlisle felt her eyes on him and turned his head upward to look at her, "Yeah," he told her, "We could talk about it."

Esme smiled and closed her eyes, now thinking about how wonderful it was going to be to have another baby in the house. She hadn't realized how much was potentially missing from their lives until these new possibilities arose. The thought of holding another Masen in her arms made her feel elated, even if the stages of life breezed through so rapidly, and she couldn't wait for Rosalie to enjoy all the experiences of motherhood that she had.


	12. The Animal Inside

**Hey all.. made another "movie trailer" for this story. If you want to check it out, that'd be cool. You tube won't let me copy & paste the actual link, but if you go to the normal youtube dot com website, type in /watch?v=MKLqeLHi1D8 after it to watch it. If you're bored that is... and thanks for the name suggestions for Rose/Emmett's baby! So fun... thanks for reviewing.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

The airplane door burst open and the soccer player that did a decent job to distract Luciana waved goodbye as he slung a bookbag over his shoulder and headed into the New York City airport.

Luciana was in desperate need of her last half bottle of blood. She saved it for an emergency, though thought to herself how much she needed it during the time frame that the pilot asked them all to remain seated with their belts fastened. It was the longest twenty minutes of her short life.

In the distance she saw the last of her temporary friend's frame as he mixed in with all of the other travelers. Luciana gathered her luggage and then headed for the nearest rest room to reload on her fluids. About fifty yards from where she was standing were a set of restrooms, almost tucked away from the mainstream walkways of the crowds of people. She bolted as fast as she could without seeming superhuman in that direction, sensing her pupils were heavily dialated. It was then that an intoxicating aroma struck her nostrils like a thousand darts.

Luciana's nose flared and a quiet hiss escaped her mouth. Steps before the restrooms, the middle aged Italian gentleman from the plane ride walked arrogantly with his head up past her into the men's bathroom. She could practically see the blood pumping in his juicy veins. All at once, her toe and fingers curled and she grinded her teeth with painful anticipation. His blood was calling her like no other she'd experienced - human or animal.

The carry on bag with the half bottle of blood was the now the farthest thing from her mind. It would be like a chocolate lover settled for one M&M as opposed to an entire chocolate factory with dripping waterfalls and ten foot Hersey bars. Luciana longed for this man's blood to run through her veins for hours on end, and she was finally given the opportunity to do so without crashing the entire plane filled with innocent people.

She threw up the hood on her sweatshirt and rolled her luggage into the men's bathroom, sending echoes off the walls each time the wheels clicked over a bump in the tiles. Luciana couldn't tell if they were alone, or if other people were around. She was in hunting mode and there was only one destination on her mind.

The lock on a bathroom door clicked open and she released the luggage she'd dragged in behind her. The click was the best sound she had heard since her father's voice as she parted from him earlier. It meant that her prey was releasing himself closer into her grasp, not that a metal door would have done much to protect him anyway.

Luciana turned her back as the man exited the stall and whistled as he made his way to the sink. She took in a long, deep breath, taunting herself with his aroma as the water from the faucet hit the porceline sink. The sound of it going down the drain was comparable to the way his blood flowed through his body. Dripping. Swirling. Flowing like a delicious river of red.

His shoes clicked on the bathroom tiles and she felt him approaching to where her back was still to him.

All logic was gone. The animal was out in full force. As he crossed her path, she eyed the vein in his neck that was closest to her and lunged, cupping a hand over his mouth to mask the screams that accompanied her teeth pressing through the skin of his warm, succulent neck.

Luciana's eyes rolled back beneath her closed eyelids. Her fangs tore at the flesh that had provoked her for so long. In her mind, she felt for a moment that he deserved it for making her want his blood so badly, and causing her plane ride to turn into a Hellish nightmare. Now, she felt euphoric; heavenly in her demon state.

Before long, his feet stopped kicking and she stood above him, trying not to growl in ecstacy as the lingering taste of his blood in her mouth. She looked at herself in the mirror, eyes burning red and blood covering her face.

I look horrifying, she thought.

Another man entered; a skater looking kid in his early twenties. He hadn't noticed right away, still bobbing his head to the tunes in his Ipod with a beanie cap pulled down past his ears.

Luciana snarled, not out of her frenzy for human blood. The boy looked up in time to see her attack, sending him to the ground before he had time to scream. Within seconds, blood poured from his neck and his eyes stopped fluttering as his body went limp on the ground.

The Quileute bonfire was still in full force, though Rosalie and Emmett excused themselves to return home, eager to enjoy a romantic hand in hand stroll away from everyone else.

Rosalie looked at him adoringly in the moonlight, and he kissed her on her forehead, nose and lips before guiding them back home.

"I'm so happy," she told him, unable to keep a smile from her face, "I can't believe this is actually happening," she cupped her stomach with one hand.

"You deserve it," he told her, throwing a heavy arm over her shoulders, "I'm glad I've been able to help give you this."

Rosalie smiled again, "You mean we deserve this."

"We," he grinned, scooping her up in his arms.

The two of them felt they same way as when they first fell in love; blissful, excited and wanting to throw everything else to the side but each other.

"We should go back to our last standing house," Rosalie said, referring to the house Carlisle and Esme had gotten for them long ago, "Have some more alone time."

Emmett smiled, "Sounds good to me." He began racing them in the direction, though his cell phone caused him to put on the breaks. His heels dug into the dirt beneath his feet and Rosalie quickly scooted out his arms so he could answer the phone.

"Alice," he explained, then picked it up, "Yeah?"

Her voice was frantic on the other end, and Rosalie could tell by his facial expression that something wasn't right. She began to focus on what Alice was saying.

"Okay," Emmett said, "Okay, we will. Meet you there." He hung up the phone and looked at Rosalie with worried eyes.

"It's Lucy?" she asked.

He nodded, "She had a vision. It's not good. Jasper's calling her now and the two of them are going out to New York."

Rosalie put a hand over her mouth, unwillingly ripped from her perfect world.

Emmett grabbed her hand, "Come on. We have to meet everyone at home. Hopefully Carlisle will know what to do."

They darted off toward home as fast as they could.

"How bad?" Rosalie asked with the wind whipping through her hair.

"Kind of bad," he told her.

By the time they'd reached home, Edward and Bella were already talking with Carlisle and Esme. All four of them looked distressed.

"What's happening?" Rosalie asked.

"Alice had a vision," Edward explained, "Luciana was making a scene at JFK airport."

"Did her and Jasper already leave?"

He nodded, "Yes. They didn't pack anything, they just left. I don't know if Jasper's been able to get a hold her on her phone yet."

"Where's Seth?" Esme asked.

"They told him to stay," Bella said, "But he didn't. He went with them."

Masen and Leah burst through the door, both with worried looks on their face. "Seth's gone," Masen told them, "We just tried going after him, but he's gone."

"If he's with Alice and Jasper, he should be alright," Carlisle told him, "What were the details of her vision?"

Edward shook his head, "She followed a man into the bathroom at the airport. His blood was too strong for her to resist. She tried for so long, he was on the plane with her and she was able to withstand, but they crossed paths again when they landed and she couldn't help herself."

"Poor thing. She tried so hard. She made it all the way there." Esme's face was full of anguish. She looked at Carlisle, "Should we go with them?"

He threw an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her back gently, "I think Jasper and Alice have it covered. We have to support her when we get back, be there for her. I'm sure she'll be upset with herself about everything."

Leah's phone went off in a text message and Masen grabbed it from her pocket before she could. He looked at them, "Turn on the news."

Carlisle raced to the living room and pressed the button the remote, illuminating the flat screen before he punched in the numbers zero, eight. A broadcaster was live in New York City, telling of a spree of killings at JFK airport.

"Eight were found dead inside a restroom, where they appeared to be savagely ripped apart at the throat. A suspect is yet to be defined, but police are on the scene attempting to solve this heinous crime."

Another reporter came on the screen with simliar statements. Carlisle saw the horrified look on Leah's face and muted the television.

"The damn Volturi," Masen said angrily, "She was fine until she met up with them."

"Let's hope this doesn't lead them to blame us somehow," Esme said, shaking her head, "I mean so many of us have slipped up in the earlier years of life."

"It's Aro's daughter," Carlisle reminded, "He won't hurt her."

Rosalie put an arm under her stomach and looked down and Emmett rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't think we'll have any backlash from this," Carlisle told them, "But we'll have to see what unfolds."

They both nodded with serious expressions.

Carlisle looked at Esme, who glanced up toward with him worried eyes. "It'll be okay," he assured her, though didn't know how accurate his words really were.


	13. To Stand Divided

**Sorry for the mix up. I don't know what happened there.. hopefully it works this time! My mistake :)**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Sam and Jacob stood nose to nose upon Luciana's return with Jasper, Alice and Seth.

"From here on out, we're separate groups," Sam bellowed.

"You know he can't help it," Jacob said loud and firm, "You know that better than anyone."

"It's not natural Jacob. My pack hasn't imprinted on our natural enemies."

"Oh, so we're back to that?" Jacob asked, "My pack, your pack. After all we've been through."

"We're back to that," Sam told him, "Regardless of what's been resolved, we're still here for a purpose. Not the same purpose as you."

Jacob looked back at his group - a mixture of Quileutes and vampires. Renesme, Seth, Leah, Masen, Quil, Embry... A few boys stood undecided and Sam stood with his chest puffed out to claim his dominance.

"You know this isn't right," Jacob told him.

"It's about what's smart," Sam said, "Smart for my family, for the ones I love." He pointed to his chest and looked back at Emily, Paul and Jared. The younger members tried to nonchalantly shift behind them.

"I get it," Jacob continued, "I know in the past it was you going your way, and me going mine. But Sam, you know me. You know Leah. You know Seth."

"And I know why we've been force to become what we are. Masen was never a threat to us, but now Luciana has become one. We've risked our lives for those who we're suppose to be killing. Vampires, Jacob. We can't risk our lives for vampires anymore."

"You need to rethink your-"

"I'm not rethinking anything," Sam said, raising his voice, "This is my rethinking. It's what should have been done all along."

"And what's that Sam, huh?"

"We can't live like this Jacob. I will not stand by the enemy anymore," he stepped an inch closer, "There's a new treaty beginning today. Your pack is not allowed on the south part of the reservation. The north side is yours. If you, or any of them step on our territory, all Hell will break loose."

"You'll change your mind." Jacob told him.

"Don't test me. I don't want it to come to that, but I will not hesitate." Sam turned his back and marched off, causing sorry looks from his pack to the members of Jacob's.

"I'm sorry," Seth said when Sam's pack was out of sight, "I didn't mean to put us in this position."

"You didn't do anything." Jacob said, still visibly angry. He clenched his fists and looked at Renesme before phasing and darting off into the woods.

Jasper stood in the center of his family, explaining what happened along the way back home with Luciana. Alice had taken her back to the secluded house to recover from her trip to Italy.

"You shouldn't have let her go so soon," Emmett told him.

"She was ready," Jasper said with certainty, "It was Aro's choices to-

"She wasn't ready," Emmett said firmly, "It's obvious from the result." He stood protectively in front of Rosalie.

Bella found herself anxious as their family stood devided for the first time since she'd known them.

"Emmett," Carlisle started, "It's not Jasper's fault."

He didn't say anything more, but a glare still lingered on his face. Rosalie tugged on his shirt to get him to stop being confrontational.

"I wouldn't have put anyone in danger," Jasper continued to protest, "It was because of her experience with the Volturi. They stirred her off course. Her plane ride in was fine."

"You talked to her on the phone before she boarded from Italy," Emmett bellowed, he looked at Rosalie who pleaded with her eyes for him to stop yelling.

Jasper grew quiet, and seemed to suddenly feel guilt for his actions of not stopping her himself.

"Jasper," Esme said, sensing he felt bad, "You couldn't have known." She turned to her other son, "Emmett, please."

"I don't want any more attention on us," Emmett said, motioning to Rosalie, "We've been through enough. More in the last few years than ever. I'm sick of fighting."

"We won't have to fight," Carlisle said, "I don't see Aro wanting to draw negative attetion to his daughter. He wouldn't."

Emmett slammed his foot down and the whole upstairs seemed to shake.

"Emmett, calm down," Carlisle told him. They stared at each other for a minute before Emmett unclenched his fists and looked around.

"I couldn't have known Emmett, and I would never put you and Rosalie in harms way." Jasper said.

He didn't say anything, though shook his head.

"Just say it," Jasper said, now looking somewhat annoyed, "Say what you need to."

Emmett stepped up toward him, "You made the wrong decision, Jasper."

The two of them exchanged a few more words before they became entangled on the floor, wrestling each other. A lamp on one of the small end tables crashed the ground.

Rosalie stood up from the chair she was sitting in, "Emmett! Stop!"

Everyone attempted to break up the fight and Esme got pushed to the ground in one of Emmett's movements to grab his brother.

Carlisle grabbed Emmett by his shirt collar and slammed him into the wall with a low, intimidating growl. Everyone stopped and stared, not knowing what to do.

Emmett's face suddenly looked apologetic and he put his hands up defensively, "I'm sorry," he choked out.

Bella and Edward stood in shock, not used to seeing Carlisle in such an aggressive state, especially toward someone in their family.

Esme approached him slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Carlisle," she said calmly, "Stop. I'm okay. It was an accident."

His chest heaved up and down and his hands slowly unclutched Emmett's shirt. A series of spiderweb cracks decorated the wall where his body slammed. Carlisle bowed his head and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry," he said.

Emmett slowly made his way away from the wall, "I'm sorry, Carlisle... Esme. I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry."

Esme smiled, "You didn't know I was there, Emmett. It's fine," she looked at Carlisle, who's eyes were still black with fury, "Calm down."

"I'm fine," he assured her, walking toward the window past Bella and Edward. He placed his hands on the window sill and looked at the world outside.

Esme stood between Jasper and Emmett, "You two need to make up right now. This isn't like you," she looked at Emmett in the eye, "Jasper didn't do anything wrong. It was the Volturi that set Luciana back. She did what she could and slipped up. You know what that's like when someone's blood appeals to you that much."

He nodded, "I know. I just, I don't know. I've changed since Rose got pregnant."

"I understand," Esme explained, "But you need to keep your head on strait. You can't lose it now. You need to be level headed now more than ever Emmett."

"You're right. I'm sorry." He glanced at Rosalie apologetically, who looked distraught over the fight.

Jasper held out his hand, "No hard feelings Emmett. I'll make up for it. No one will hurt Rosalie or your baby."

Emmett returned the handshake, forcing a genuine smile from the corner of his mouth, "I'm sorry."

Masen, Leah, Renesme and Jacob burst into the house and within seconds were upstairs with the rest of them.

"There's a new treaty in place," Jacob told them, "None of us are allowed on the south side of the reservation. Sam separated himself from us."

"What?" Esme asked, "Why?"

Jacob shook his head, "Long story. I'll show you the boundaries."

Carlisle turned around, "Would Sam talk to us?"

"Sam wants no part of any of this anymore."

Their family stood together looking a little disoriented.

Esme walked over to Carlisle and placed a hand on his back. At first he didn't look at her, but she forced him to. "Carlisle," she said firmly, "You have to pull this family back together."


	14. The Stranger

**Chapter 14**

Carlisle sat toward the outskirts of their land, overlooking the ocean by himself. A lot had happened over the course of a week, and he felt as though he was losing sight of things. It was rare that he felt mismatched by the elements that were out of his control, and the fact that it was happening to him now made him uneasy and uncertain. Even he had acted uncharacteristically in the way he handled Emmett after his accidental shove into Esme.

The last thing they need is for me to lose it, he thought to himself. He knew that his calm, compassionate demeanor meant a lot to those around him. A wave of guilt passed through him, picturing Emmett's face only inches from his own. Carlisle knew his son had handled the situation with Jasper in the wrong fashion, though he couldn't blame him for the protectiveness that went along with being a father, or father-to-be.

He looked down at his watch. It read nearly 1 a.m. The night had belonged to him, and him alone, for nearly two hours.

From about one hundred yards, Emmett approached and caught sight of his father looking somewhat troubled.

Carlisle sensed him as he closed the gap between them and turned around slowly to face him.

"Hey," Emmett said with a wave, "We were all, uh, just kind of worried about you."

He nodded, "I was about to head back."

"Okay," Emmett responded with a nod, "Look, uh, I really am sorry about what happened back at the house. I had no idea Esme was right there when I cocked back at Jasper. I mean, I shouldn't have even done that."

Carlisle shook his head, "It was an accident. I knew right after I calmed down that she was fine; nothing had happened. I didn't think. I just reacted. I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be apologizing. I caused that. I need to go down to where Jas and Alice are staying and apologize again to him, too."

He put a hand on Emmett's shoulder, "He's fine."

"What are we going to do about this?"

"As far as I see it, Emmett, our situation with Sam's pack is no different than the way we've lived for decades with them. It's unfortunate, but if that's the way it has to be, then we abide by it for the sake of keeping the peace."

"What about Luciana and her... outburst?"

"I'm sorry to see the lives lost, and it's a shame that it happened in such a public place, but she's not so unlike many of our kind, Emmett. Even you, Rose, everyone just about had their share of slip ups. It's just been awhile so they're easier to forget. She's in the same shoes as any of us were when the urge was stronger. She'll be okay."

Emmett nodded, then tried to lighten the situation, "So, you still going to be Rose's doctor? Even though I kind of hit Mom."

His goofy grin made Carlisle let out a laugh, "Yeah. Course."

"Good, because I'm going to be on the opposite side of the table," he laughed, suddenly feeling at ease from the happy expression on Carlisle's face.

Both of them caught wind of an unfamiliar scent at the same time. Emmett met Carlisle's gaze and the two of them sprung into the woods, following the stanger's scent through the trees.

"Who is it?" Emmett called out as they ran.

"I don't know," Carlisle responded.

Emmett's jacket flew off in his persuit of the wandering vampire that happened into their docile section of the country. "It's fading," he called over the rushing wind.

Carlisle tried to focus on the deminishing odor, leading the way with Emmett at his heels. Without warning, the two of them came to the edge of a cliff and didn't realize quick enough that the land had ended until they were in mid air.

Water towered up onto the thousand year old rocks above it as Carlisle and Emmett plunged into the fridged Forks waters. They popped up at the same time and looked all around.

Emmett smacked the water, "Do you sense anything?"

Carlisle wiped water from his eyes and looked around, shaking his head, "No. Nothing."

They treaded water for a few minutes before scaling the rock to get back up to where they'd accidentally leapt from.

"Think that was a coincidence? A nomad?" Emmett asked, wringing out his t-shirt.

"Can't be sure," Carlisle said, "We'll have to inform everyone and keep an eye out."

Emmett sighed and looked around the quiet forrest hoping for a second chance to track the potential passerbyer.

The ocean before them was still, aside from the gentle waves lapping up onto the rocks in the shallow part of the water.

"They've most likely taken the water as a way out," Carlisle said, "They most likely knew we were following."

"Why would he run if there wasn't something he was trying to hide?"

"A number of reasons. Maybe he thought he was trespassing. Scared. Who knows."

Carlisle glanced around the darkness, also hoping that there was something left for them to investigate. When he realized there was nothing to go on, he patted Emmett's back. "Let's get back to the house." He quickly called Esme and had her make sure that everyone was home, Luciana included.

At the house, everyone waited on the porch. Their faces all seemed relieved as Carlisle and Emmett approached in good conversation.

Alice stepped forward first, "I'm sorry about the ruckus that happened here earlier, and I take full responsibility for the things that happened before that."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Carlisle told her.

She looked to Esme, "I ordered you a new lamp online when Jasper told me they broke one upstairs. It should be here in a week."

"Thank you," she and Carlisle said, then Esme added, "You didn't have to do that."

"Oh, and a while I was at it, a new headboard too."

Emmett snickered, but Carlisle began to speak before he could say anything. "We came across someone's scent while we were out. Neither of us have ever crossed paths with them before."

"Any reason to think they were deliberately in our area?" Edward asked.

Carlisle shook his head, "Not particularly. But we thought it was an odd coincidence, just something to look out for."

Jacob sighed, "I hope whoever it was didn't make their way to Sam's side of the reservation."

"We would have known if they had," Leah told him, "All Hell would break loose remember?" she rolled her eyes, mocking Sam's words.

Jacob turned his lips up in a lopsided grin.

"So, is there any kind of threat?" Rosalie asked. She made her way quickly to Emmett's side.

"Not likely," Carlisle explained, "We just have to keep on our toes in case they return. If they do, I'd like to speak with them. Until then, we'll assume it was someone passing by."


	15. Good News, Bad News

**Chapter 15**

Weeks had gone by and there was one other occurance of the stranger's scent. It was a brief and miles away from the Cullen's residence, though close enough to draw red flags from their family that would conclude that the previous incident was nit a fluke.

They kept an extra eye on the news in the immediate area, though no unexplained animal attacks had been reported.

"Aro is probably behind this," Edward said to Carlisle and Alice, "Maybe as a lookout for Lucy."

Alice shook her head, "I don't think so." She thought hard, "But I think he might know something." Her eyes seemed to be scanning an invisible book.

"So you don't think he's responsible, but he does know something about it?" Carlisle asked, a little confused.

"It's hard to say. He's had a conversation with Marcus. A concern at first, but that seemed to fade."

"How would he know that someone was nearby if he wasn't behind it?" Carlisle asked, "Is he in the area?"

Alice shook her head, "No."

"I'm not fully following your logic," Edward told his sister.

"Hang on," she said, concentrating harder. She thought for a moment, "It seems like they had a similar problem, though the person never returned. Well, not problem, per say, but an intruder to their territory. That's what Aro called it."

"Any way to tell if it's the same person?" Edward asked.

She shook her head, " No way to know the scent."

Carlisle and Edward looked puzzled.

"Aro had a few of the guard members investigate further," Alice went on. Her eyes quickly shifted from side to side. "I can't see any concrete answers."

Edward turned to Carlisle and shook his head, "No."

"It's just a thought. Circumstances are different."

"You want to speak with Aro one on one, don't you?" Alice guessed. She shook her head, "Esme isn't going to let you because of the vision I had last time."

"Can you give me an accurate vision if I decide to do it now?"

"Carlisle-" she started.

"Alice," he intervened, "Our family has gone through these run around guessing games for some time now. I'd like to get to the bottom of this before it becomes an issue. We haven't had the chance to properly sit down and have talks. That could solve something from potentially happening again like we've been experiencing."

Edward seemed to change his mind's course, "It could be beneficial if we could stop someone from attacking before it took place, before they decided to come here."

"We don't even know if anyone's decided to come here." Alice told him.

"I'll go with you," Edward said to Carlisle, "I'll be able to tell if he's lying. You can do all the talking. I'll just listen."

"No," Alice said to them, "Listen to what you're proposing. Carlisle, the last time you didn't see what I saw."

"I understand, Alice, but I don't want to draw them here once Rosalie has her baby. If we can put an end to something now by talking-"

"And what if you two don't come back. No one will be here to be able to deliver the baby."

"We'll leave after it's born," Carlisle told her, "It won't be long now. It's been weeks. She's on the same pace as Esme was."

"Do you know what Renesme and Masen would do if you two didn't come back?" Alice asked firmly, "Not to mention Bella and Esme."

The two of them sensed she was having a vision immediately after ending her sentence. When she snapped out of it, she looked at them, shaking her head again, "So your minds are made up then?"

Carlisle and Edward looked at each other.

"We'll meet him on neutral ground, in the states," Edward told her.

Alice folded her arms over her chest, "Yes, I know. I've seen it."

"No backlash right?" Edward continued, "Just the two of us and Aro?"

She sighed, "I have some good news and some bad news regarding all of this."

They waited for her to continue.

"The good news is, you'll both be fine. I don't see any problems with Aro. He's too concerned with his daughter and he knows she's with us."

"What's the bad news then?" Edward asked.

"Esme and Bella are going to be furious once they find out you both lied to them."

"If it's for good reason," Carlisle said, "They'll understand."

"I'm not lying for you," Alice told them.

Carlisle suddenly felt guilty and looked at Edward.

"I've lied to Bella to keep her safe before," he told his father, "I don't think they'll be signing divorce papers over it." He let out a laugh, though Carlisle still seemed to be conflicted about it.

"I was planning on telling her the truth," Carlisle said.

"She'll insist on coming with you," Alice said, "And it'll either be that or you don't go," she looked at Edward, "Bella, too."

"It's for the greater good, Carlisle," Edward told him.

"I thought you were against this plan in the first place," Carlisle said.

"I changed my mind."

"Change it again," Alice told him, "I don't trust them. Aro's constantly changing his mind."

"We won't lose contact with you," Carlisle told her.

Alice sighed, "I hate keeping things from everyone."

"Pretend it's a surprise party then," Edward said jokingly, "You can keep your mouth shut then."

"Once Rosalie has the baby, we'll go," Carlisle said to Edward.

He nodded, "I'll make a call to Aro."

"Just remember why you're going after the baby's birth," Alice told them, "Because you know he's dangerous and manipulative."

"I know him well," Carlisle assured her.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Alice said, "But my visions seem you both getting slapped in the face when you get back, so... good luck."

"We'll see where he'd like to meet," Edward said. He pulled out his phone and in less than a minute, Aro was on the other end, "We'd like to arrange a meeting."


	16. It's A

_**I was checking out all of the baby name suggestions... so hard to choose from! I think I've decided to go with a combination of a couple of them for the full name... and **SPOILER ALERT (kinda)** - i plan on using a suggested name for another baby later in the story.. much much later.. :)**_

_**One more thing.. I wasn't sure if anyone was offended by the airport scene with Luciana.. please let me know if it was too gory/bloody/graphic.. same thing goes for the love scenes.. if it's at all offensive to anyone, i'll change my rating to "M" ... but if not, i'll keep it at "T" ... thanks**_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Time seemed to have been flying by rapidly. Rosalie had gone through many of the stages that Esme had during her pregnancy. Her stomach was as large as it could possibly be, and Carlisle made sure he was home a majority of the time, sensing she could go into labor at any minute. Emmett, too, had taken less shifts at his job in order to keep a close eye on his wife. The rest of the women in the house were constantly lingering around Rosalie.

Alice and Jasper had begun to regularly stay with the rest of the family again. Luciana looked older, spoke more maturely and hadn't slipped up since she'd returned to Forks. She blended in well with the rest of them, and seemed just as thrilled for Rosalie to bring her new baby into the world as the rest of them.

Rosalie sat with Renesme and Jacob watching a day time soap opera that Jacob pretended to have no interest in. Every so often he'd make a comment or ask a question and looked more interested than anyone from the way he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

Rosalie winked at Renesme, as if to say 'watch this' and spoke to Jacob, "I can't believe she's with his brother now!" She shook her head.

"Such a backstabber," Jacob said, not removing his eyes from the television, "Women..."

"Hey," Renesme smacked him on the back.

He turned and smiled, "Some women."

Rosalie rested her arms on her enormous stomach and sighed.

"You look like you're about to pop," Jacob told her, "The doctor in?"

"Upstairs," Renesme told him, "Why are you scared you might have to deliver it?"

He laughed, "Not a chance."

"Oh, come on Jacob," Rosalie chuckled, "You wouldn't do it to help me?"

"Maybe if I was the last... wolf on earth," he smiled wide.

"You know," she told him, "You have perfect teeth. Nessy ever tell you that?"

Jacob continued to smile and looked at Renesme, "All the time," he turned back to Rosalie, "Can you continue to be this nice after you have that thing?"

"This thing... you mean my baby... girl... boy.."

"Vampire," Jacob raised his eyebrows.

Rosalie gave him a pretend mad look and propped her feet up.

"I got your lunch," Emmett called, entering through the back.

Jacob made a face, and teased Renesme with his eyes until she started tickling him to make him stop.

Rosalie stood up from the couch and headed outside to feed from the deer that Emmett had caught for her. She made unappreciative faces as she walked, finding each step a little more uncomfortable that the last.

"You okay?" Emmett asked, waiting by the door with it held open.

Rosalie nodded and continued to make her way, but as she got within an arms reach of him, she shook her head, "No. I don't think I am."

Emmett held her lightly by her arms and she gave him a confused, painful face that was accompanied by a sigh.

Renesme and Jacob looked in their direction, both having stood up from the couch to see what was going on, "Rose, are you alright?"

Carlisle immediately sprung down the steps with Esme not far behind. He went directly to Rosalie's side, "What are you experiencing?"

"Umm... uhhhh," Rosalie couldn't complete the sentence, she grabbed a hold of her stomach and tried to take in a few fresh breaths. Emmett still had her by the arm and looked at Carlisle.

"Come on," his father said, "Let's go upstairs."

The two of them walked her slowly through the house, trying not to trigger any painful movements. Renesme and Jacob followed upstairs, but stayed out of the room that would be used to deliver the baby. Both of them were on their phones texting people.

Rosalie's visible discomfort became more apparant as the seconds passed. Her sighs became a little louder and longer, and everyone's chatter was more urgent and frantic in the delivery room.

Within ten minutes, the rest of the family had entered the house, giving the necessary space to assure they weren't in the way of the process.

"Alice," Edward said, "She wants you in there."

His sister perked up and her eyes grew wide before she skipped happily out of the room to accompany Rosalie.

"I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl," Masen said aloud, to no one in particular.

"Girl," Bella said.

"Boy," Edward smiled at her.

"Definitely a boy," Jasper said with a grin.

"Girl," Leah chimed in. Masen nodded and shrugged to agree with her.

"I say it'll be a girl, too." Renesme said, "What about you Lucy?"

She shrugged, "Well, I guess I'll say boy to even it out." She smiled at Jasper.

"Boy," Seth agreed, overly eager to please Luciana. She smiled and touched the side of his face gently.

"Yeah. It'll be a boy," Jacob said with certainty.

Esme entered the room and everyone stood up, hoping to hear that Rosalie had her baby. Edward knew right away that, that wasn't what she came into the room for. He remained seated and calm.

"Does anyone need anything to eat or drink?" Esme asked, "Nessy? Leah? Jacob? Seth?"

"Everyone thought you were coming to break the news about the sex of the baby," Edward smiled, "You got everyone's hopes up."

Esme put a hand over her necklace, "Oh, I'm sorry," she laughed.

Seth slightly raised his hand, "Could I go down and make a sandwich? I haven't eaten since last night."

"Come on," Esme said. He and Luciana followed Esme downstairs.

"He really likes your mom," Leah said to Masen, regarding her brother, "She's been so positive about the whole Lucy thing with him. He was kind of depressed after the incident in New York."

Masen shrugged, "Well, that's good," he said simply.

Leah nodded, "I think he needs that because of the tension with Sam's pack."

"Have they talked to you guys at all?"

She shook her head, "No, and he thinks it's all his fault. He's taking it pretty hard."

Masen made a face, "I'm sorry. We all know it's not."

Esme returned momentarily with a plate full of cheese and crackers, as well as a few bags of chips. Renesme and Jacob immediately started eating and Seth returned with about three quarters of his sandwich as he munched away at it like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Thanks," everyone said, somewhat in unison.

"You're very welcome," Esme said. She sat on the couch next to Edward and Bella.

"You're not going back down there?" He asked.

She shrugged with a smile, "Just giving them some space."

Bella stared at the plate of food on the table before them.

"Go ahead and try one," Edward urged her.

She snickered, "No. Why?"

"To see how much your... taste buds have changed."

Bella made a face, "I'll pass."

Jacob made a little sandwich out of two crackers, some cheese and pepperoni, then looked over at them, "Delicious," he said with his mouth full. Bits of cracker fell out of his mouth.

"Gross," Renesme said, "Keep your mouth closed."

Edward laughed, "You've been hanging with Rosalie, haven't you."

Esme gave him a look, but let a smile hang on her face.

They all heard an excited cheer from Emmett down the hall, and a baby's distinct cry. Everyone stood up and raced down the hall, meeting Alice halfway as she attempted to run to them.

"Well?" Jasper asked.

"It's a boy!" she exclaimed.

Everyone who predicted the baby would be a boy gave fun, taunting looks to those who predicted it would be a girl. They waited for the go ahead from Carlisle and Rosalie to enter the room and see their new family member for the first time.

He still wailed loudly as everyone passed him around into a new person's arms.

"Maybe we shouldn't wait," Alice said to Jasper, admiring the baby's button nose. Jasper shrugged with a smile and ran his thumb against his pudgy little arms.

After everyone had their turn, the baby boy was returned to Rosalie's waiting arms. She gently covered his forehead with kisses and Emmett was crouched with a smile rubbing his nearly bald head.

Carlisle looked across the room at Esme with a smile and gave her wink, feeling extremely happy that he could deliver the baby for Rosalie. For decades he'd held onto the guilt of changing her into a vampire after she'd made it known that she would have rather lived out her life as a human, or simply died after the attack. Now, he felt like he had somewhat evened the grounds and was fully back in her good graces.

"Carlisle," she said, as if reading his mind, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

He smiled and looked at her, "You're welcome Rosalie. Congratulations. You deserve this."

Emmett shook Carlisle's hand before pulling him into a long hug, "Thanks."

Carlisle nodded and smiled again, pleased at their happiness.

"Well..." Alice asked, "What's the name you chose?"

Rosalie looked up at Emmett, "Go ahead."

"William Hale Cullen," Emmett told her, "We wanted to keep both last names, so we made Hale his middle name."

"Perfect!" Alice said with an ear to ear smile.

Rosalie silently thanked Carlisle again with her smiling eyes and slight nod before looking into the golden eyes of her beautiful newborn son.


	17. Destination Toronto

**Hope ya liked the name I chose! Hazel Valdez, I liked your idea about having Hale in the name, like a middle name so I decided to go with that. And William, from Twilight101, I loved.. plus lots of good girl names, and other boy names.. Thanks for all the suggestions.. makes it fun! **

* * *

**Chapter 17**

"She doesn't want to go," Edward told Carlisle, "She's still nervous about a slip up. She feels the need to please him."  
The two of them had asked Luciana if she would want to join them on their journey to meet Aro in Toronto, just over the border of the United States line. Edward also sensed she did not want to leave Seth, as the two of them begun to grow closer as the days passed.

"The decision is hers," Carlisle told him, "I won't force her to go if she doesn't want to."

Neither of them packed a bag, seeing as though they only planned to be a day or so. The meeting surely wouldn't take long and the second it ended, they'd be immediately on their way back to Forks.

Bella entered where they were talking, "So it'll just be a day?" She leaned her shoulder against the frame of the door.

Edward nodded, "A day and a half at most. We're just going to meet with someone to find out if they know anything, that's all."

She didn't feel the need to pry, and the thought that it could be Volturi members that they wree meeting with never even crossed her mind, "Well, be safe. You sure you guys don't need us to come with you?" Bella looked back as Esme entered the room.

"You should stay here with Rosalie," Carlisle said, "Help her look after William. I think she'd like that."

Edward tried not to laugh at his father's nervous thoughts, as he was hoping over and over again that Esme wouldn't ask for specifics.

"You don't need an extra clothes?" she asked.

Carlisle shook his head, "We won't be gone long."

"Why are you meeting in Toronto? Why not halfway?" Esme asked.

Aro's coming more than halfway already, Carlisle thought to himself, then said, "We just thought it would be best to keep it out of our area. I don't want to give Rosalie a reason to worry."

She nodded, seeming to understand. "Well, as Bella said, be safe."

The two of them accompanied Carlisle and Edward out the front door and watched as they took off into the trees.

"Who were they going to meet?" Bella asked Esme.

"He said someone who might have information about the stranger that's been crossing through here."

She nodded thoughtfully.

Hours went by before Luciana and Seth showed up with Alice and Jasper. The four of them joined the rest of the family watching a movie, and Alice immediately was at Rosalie's side to take William from her.

"Hi Willy," she said in a cute, little voice.

"Don't call him Willy," Emmett said, "It's Will or William."

"What about Bill?" Jasper said with a laugh.

"Anything but Willy."

A few of them snickered.

"They left right?" Luciana asked.

"Edward and Carlisle?" Bella asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah, about an hour and a half ago probably."

She gave them bummed out expression.

"Why? Did you need to talk to them?" Bella asked.

"She just wanted to give them a note to give to her dad," Seth told them.

Alice's eyes lit up and she continued to look down at William so her face wouldn't give away the information she knew.

"What do you mean?" Esme asked.

"Oh, it's not a big deal," Luciana said, "They had asked if I wanted to go with them to see my father, but I didn't want to just yet. I had a note I was going to send with them to give to him, but it's fine."

Esme and Bella looked at each other, "They were going to see Aro?" Bella asked loudly. She had an instant twinge of anger traveling through her body, though didn't say anything more so she wouldn't upset Luciana.

Seth looked a little nervous, "You didn't know they were going to meet with him?"

"No." Bella and Esme said at the same time. They looked around at the rest of the family.

Emmett spoke first, "I had no idea. I swear." Everyone else's facial expressions were the same. Jasper looked toward Alice out of the corner of his eye, though no one seemed to question either of them.

"Were they even meeting him in Toronto?" Esme asked.

"Yeah," Seth and Luciana said at the same time.

Jacob was trying his hardest not to let a laugh slip out. For some reason, finding Bella angry was a little amusing to him.

"They'll be back safe," Alice assured them, "I've seen them return." She handed William back to Rosalie's eagerly waiting arms. Her sister seemed to have little care about the discussion going on around them. Her focus was solely on her baby.

"Did you know they were going to meet Aro?" Bella asked. She looked toward Luciana.

"It's okay," Luciana assured her, "I'm realstic about all that."

Alice looked at them, not wanting to get blamed for Carlisle and Edward's lie, "I did," she said, "But I guess I assumed you both knew."

Jasper smirked, knowing she was lying.

Bella quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialed Edward's number. A few seconds later, there was a buzzing sound from somewhere in the kitchen, and Bella located her husband's cell phone tucked away neatly in a drawer. "You have to be kidding me," she said angrily.

Jacob couldn't hold back a laugh, and Renesme gave him a look and shook her head.

"Call your father's phone," Esme told Masen.

He looked hesitant but pulled his phone out of his pocket and found his name on the contact list. He listened for a second and said, "It's ringing."

"Give it to me," Esme said. She held the phone an inch or so from her ear to see if the phone was anywhere in the house.

At the same time, everyone heard Carlisle pick up on the other end, "Yeah Mase?" his voice came through the receiver.

Esme looked around at everyone's faces, all waiting to hear what she would say, so she quickly left the house and answered the phone. Emmett muted the TV and everyone could hear Esme screaming into the phone.

"Em..." Rosalie said.

"Wow," Seth said to Masen, "I've never heard your mom yell before."

"It's all your fault, Seth," Jacob said with a laugh. He tossed a pillow at him.

Luciana looked at him with a guilty expression.

"It's not your fault," Alice told her.

Bella lingered close to the door, attempting to hear details of what was going on with Edward. She stood with her hands on her hips.

Rosalie still looked overly blissful in her interaction with William. Emmett joined her in the oversized chair she sat in so he could be closer to the baby.

"Put the volume back up," Jasper said.

Bella darted out of the house, and everyone looked over to where she had just stood.

"Uh-oh," Emmett said, "Looks like it's Edward's turn."

Jacob snickered and even Renesme laughed.

"I think they'll at least get some good information from him," Alice said, "Something important."

"What is it?" Jasper asked.

She shook her head, "I'm not sure, but the trip will be worthwhile."

"All I know is, I'm leaving when the two of them get home," Emmett said. He kissed Rosalie on the cheek, despite her dagger-like eyes. "Just kidding babe."

Night was beginning to creep up on them and Jasper looked to Alice, "We're going to do a scan of the area. Make sure there's no one around."

"So will we," Renesme offered, "We'll go opposite ways and meet up back here. That'll cut down your trip."

"Okay," Jasper said, "You don't have to."

"I'm bored," she said, standing up and stretching her arms over her head with a yawn, "Want to go Jake?"

"Sure," he said. He took her hand and the four of them went to lookout for the stranger.


	18. Canadian Mountaintops

**Chapter 18**

Aro sat, peacefully atop a tall mountain looking down toward the foggy world below him. He waited patiently for Carlisle and Edward, basking in the sun with the appearance of a thousand diamonds. Marcus stood almost solumnly next to him, though welcomed the with his arms outstretched and his eyes closed. Each of them felt a simliar hint of freedom as they waited.

Carlisle and Edward quickly made their way to where the Volturi members' scents became clearer and clearer.

"Marcus is with him," Edward said, "They know we're close."

Carlisle gave him a look after hearing of Marcus's presence for the first time, though continued to march at a steady pace, confident his son would have told him if something sounded dangerous.

When their conversational counterparts came into view, the two of them hurried to greet them.

"Thank you for coming all this way," Carlisle told them.

Aro held out a hand without a word, at first, before reading Carlisle's thoughts as he lightly clutched his hand between his own.

"Luciana did not wish to come, I see," he stated, trying to hide a look of disappointment. He read Edward next and seemed to cringe when he came to the same thought that had passed through his mind less than a day earlier.

"We invited her to come along," Carlisle explained.

"Yes, I know," Aro told him, before immediately changing the subject, "So, your concerns lie in the presence of an unknown intruder?"

"We're not sure if it's an intruder, or someone passing through the area," Carlisle said.

"It appears as though we've had the same problem, though ours has diminished."

"Out of fear," Marcus told them.

"Indeed," Aro agreed.

"So, was it an accident that they stumbled upon your territory?" Carlisle asked them.

Aro looked at Marcus, who shook his head and said, "No."

"You see," Aro told them, "And let it be known that I wouldn't give a care in the world if it weren't for Luciana..."

Edward knew this to be true from Aro's thoughts.

"But," he went on, "We sent Demetri, Felix and the twins out to squash the mystery. It seems as though a group of low level renegades have gone on somewhat of a rebellion in regards to our laws."

"What do you mean?" Carlisled asked.

"Word has gotten around since our last alterication," Marcus explained, "They had a plan to strike at our coven. We caught up to one of them and got all the information out of him we needed."

"Before he was destroyed," Aro finished, "That immediately let their group to back off completely... from us anyway."

"So, you're saying renegade group, they're looking to do the same to us?"

"It's possible," Marcus said, "You've experienced similar curious encounters by what we assumed were just nomadic vampires crossing through."

"They may be planning an ambush," Aro explained, re-emphasizing that his only care in the matter was for that of his daughter. "They believe we're hipocrites."

"Can you blame them?" Marcus stated dryly, drawing an unapproving look from Aro.

Edward studied both of them intently, something that Aro picked up on.

"You can obviously see we're telling you the truth, Edward," he said with a smile.

Edward nodded, "I can see that."

"It's doubtful that I'll convince Luciana to come back to live with me," Aro continued, "So I'll allow her to do what makes her happiest. But I have to warn you, that should something happen to her, I'll come at you both and the rest of your family with all that I've got. You see, I wouldn't have much to lose after that."

"Nothing's going to happen to her," Edward finally spoke.

"I'd love to believe that, though just know should that happen, there will be no talking, no reading of your thoughts or compromises. We will come through those trees with a wild vengence that you will not be able to prepare for regardless of Alice's talents."

"To assure her safety," Carlisle said, "We'll need all of the information you can give us. Names. Scents. Anything."

Aro looked to Marcus, who pulled out a winter hat from beneath his cloak. He stepped forward and handed it to Carlisle, "This was left from one of the renegades as Felix attempted to track him down. Demetri was busy capturing the one who became our informant regarding the situation. Unfortunately, Felix doesn't obtain the proficient level of tracking as Demetri does, so he lost this one. We were lucky enough to get his scent from the hat."

Carlisle and Edward took in the scent.

"Familiar?" Aro asked.

They looked at each other and shook their heads, "No," Carlisle said, "But now we can pass it along to our family to keep a look out."

"I saw you've come to a difficult crossroad with the wolves," Aro said, switching his focus.

"Some of them. The pack has been divided."

"Due to Luciana's 'slip up' as you call it?"

Carlisle nodded, "We've all had our share of them in the past."

"Aside from yourself," Aro reminded him.

He shrugged, "Things happen. She's fine. She's happy."

Edward could see Carlisle's words pained Aro, who continued to keep a strait face, despite knowing that Edward could see through it into his mind. "It's funny how easy you find ruling an entire culture of beings, until one day your life changes. You know," he went on," I was planning on creating an army with these children. A biological army of self made vampires so no one would even think about challenging us again.I figured the loyalty would surely be in comparison to no other. I also thought that should one, two... ten of them perish, that it would make for an easy solution... replace them."

Edward noticed Marcus soaking in everything Aro was saying.

A half hearted laugh left the Volturi leader's mouth, "Who was to think I'd actually care what happened to them..."

"It's indescribable bond," Carlisle agreed.

Aro nodded, "Farewell Carlisle. Edward." He made a motion to Marcus and the two of them were gone.

Carlisle and Edward were left standing with the stray vampire's hat, ready to go home.

"Well, now we have something to go by," Edward said, "He was being honest about everything. So was Marcus."

"Yeah," Carlisle said, "Hopefully this will help us." He folded the hat around in his hands.

"Ready?" Edward asked.

He nodded and the two of them made their way home.


	19. Back to Forks

**Chapter 19**

Emmett bobbed up and down gently with William in his arms. He waited outside by the woods, expecting Carlisle and Edward home any minute. William made noises and seemed to smile as Emmett lightly touched his tiny palms with his fingers. Rosalie had dressed him in a little pinstripe onesy with a baby blue baseball hat to match.

"Soon you'll be able to play baseball with us for real, huh?" Emmett said smiling. His son's eyes were pure gold, having just ate his dinner from one of the many bottles that lingered around the house.

When Edward first came through the trees, Emmett smiled. Carlisle was just behind him.

"Hey guys," Emmett said, still rocking William.

"Hey," they both said at the same time.

"So, what happened?"

"We got some good information," Edward said. He smiled and rubbed William's stubby little leg, causing him to twitch slightly.

"Well, come let everyone know. Jas started a fire out back. Looked before like it was going to rain though."

The three of them looked up at the starless sky.

Carlisle smiled at the baby in Emmett's arms, "We missed you," he said, letting William clutch onto each of his thumbs.

"Want to hold him?"

Carlisle took the baby from Emmett and tucked his head securely into the elbow crease of his arm.

"Maybe since you're holding him, Esme won't want to yell at you."

"Are they still mad?" Edward asked.

Emmett let out a laugh, "Are they still mad? Uh, yeah, they're still mad. But don't let 'em fool ya. They asked Alice every ten minutes if you were alright. Right up until you got here."

The three of them walked to the back yard where everyone was hanging out. Seth, Leah and Jacob had brought some food over, feeling bad for eating everything the Cullens had in their cabinets - though it was still all for them, and Renesme.

"Where's the hat?" Alice asked, roasting a marshmellow for her neice.

Carlisle handed William to Rosalie, who sat in a small lounge chair. He pulled it out from his coat pocket and tossed it to Alice. Edward made his way to Bella, and the two of them almost immediately started aruging in quiet whispers. He looked at Esme and from the way she was blatently avoiding his stare, he decided to give her some space.

"Aro said there was a pack of renegade vampires who saw the actions of the Volturi as hypocritical," Carlisle started, "They're rebelling against the rules that have been set, and it began, at least publicly, right after our last encounter with them. I suppose a lot got passed through the grapevine to this particular group."

"What does that have to really do with us?" Rosalie asked.

" Supposedly they encountered a few strangers sneaking around their territory," he continued, "Demetri tracked one down and he became their informant. He told them all of this; everything. They don't like how we've all played with the boundaries of what's acceptable and what's not. After he told them all of this, Aro destroyed him. It scared their group off, and he's sure they're beginning to target our area."

"And the hat?" Jasper asked.

"Felix was attempting to track down another one in their pack, but he lost him. The hat was left behind in his persuit, so Aro figured it would be helpful if we had the scent in case this particular one came through here. That would confirm with one hundred percent certainty that it's the same roaming coven, if you can call it that."

"How do you know he's not lying?" Rosalie asked them.

"He wasn't lying," Edward said, "I could see everything he was thinking. He cares to much for Luciana. Said the only way he'd attack us is if something happened to her. He'd holds us responsible for her safety."

Luciana looked a little sad, though didn't say anything. Seth put his arm around her and pulled her an inch or so closer to family took turns becoming familiar with the scent until everyone was on the same page.

A light rain began to fall, and Rosalie immediately eyed Emmett with her hand over William's head and the two of them went inside. Everyone else did their part to clean up the area, and Jasper through a some water over the fire.

Carlisle finally walked over to Esme and tried to talk to her, but she blew him off with a slight shake of her head and went inside. He looked toward Edward and Bella, who stayed outside to continue their argument.

Renesme glanced over her shoulder at them until Jacob guided her along into the house. "They'll be fine," he assured her.

Masen walked up to Carlisle and gave him a hug, with Leah just behind him. "Was a little worried," he told his father, "Glad you're back."

"Thanks, son," he said to him, "We only went because Alice knew it would be okay."

"I know," he said simply, "You just never know with those guys."

Carlisle patted him on the back and noticed the two of them were on their way out. "Where are you going?"

"To Charlie's," he told him, "That okay?"

Carlisle nodded, "Be careful."

Masen and Leah waved and left the house.

"You lied to me!" Bella shouted outside, causing everyone to turn in the direction of her voice.

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other with smiles, "Aren't you glad it's not us," she said to him, giving him a kiss.

Esme looked through some DVD's with Jacob and Renesme before she put one on that they chose.

Carlisle unwillingly made his way upstairs to take a shower after their long trip part way across the country. He entered their room and looked around, confused, noticing their bed was missing.

He tossed his jacket onto a chair in the corner of the room and went back into the hall, leaning over the railing that overlooked where everyone else sat. "Esme, can I talk to you for a second?"

Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other with smiles as Esme finally made her way up the stairs to talk to her husband. He walked in front of her into their room.

"What Carlisle?" she asked.

He looked around again, "Where's our bed?"

She folded her arms across her chest, "Well, we don't sleep, so there's really no reason to have one. We're not going to get any use out of it."

He realized he had a dumbfounded look on his face, but he couldn't make it go away, fully understanding the message she was sending. Emmett and Rosalie continued to laugh downstairs, already knowing of Esme's plan in advance.

"Anything else?" she asked, still stern faced, though very calm.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

She looked down at his somewhat muddy clothes from his trip, "You should shower."

"Esme, can we please talk first?"

"You had your chance to talk before you left," Esme told him. She left the room and joined the rest of them downstairs.

Carlisle found himself suddenly envious of Bella and Edward's fight. He would have much rather Esme really laid into him, even if it was in front of everyone. He knew how to react to that. From her calm, yet extremely angry inside, demeanor, he found himself unsure of when she would forgive him.


	20. The Stranger's Return

**Chapter 20**

Carlisle and Alice stood outside of Charlie's house after Seth told them of another "run by" of the vampire that was beginning to frequent their area. He and the other wolves, along with Renesme and Masen were generally looking out for the house, though at three in the morning, Seth, Leah and Jacob were fast asleep.

Charlie was getting tired of always having to leave his house, so the Cullens agreed to keep watch nightly as they'd done for Bella years before. They really had no idea if the roaming clan was aware of the gifts their family possessed. Alice was fully convinced that the rogue vampire would be crossing their path at any minute.

"He's heading toward the house," Alice said. A few seconds went by, "Almost."

The stranger's scent became increasingly clear and Alice gave Carlisle the call to go after him. The two of them darted through the woods, sensing the vampire was not expecting their presence as he put on the breaks upon realizing they were fully aware of his whereabouts.

"There he is," Alice said, pointing ahead of her.

In the distance, they could both make out a white shirt as it blew loosely over the man's shoulders in the wind that was created by his speed. He zig zagged off of trees and tried everything in his power to lose them.

The persuit of the stranger lead them onto the reservation, and Carlisle noticed as they whipped by Sue's old house where Leah was now staying.

"Where's the boundary?" Alice shouted.

"About a quarter of a mile ahead," he shouted back.

The vampire became clearer and clearer, looking over his shoulder several times before crossing through the break in the reservation that Sam had banned them from. A series of tall stakes were pressed in the ground, signaling the line that divided the two territories.

Carlisle and Alice stopped inches from the border, watching as the white speck in the darkness disappeared.

"We should have just-" Alice started.

"We can't," Carlisle told her, "It's unfortunate but it's what they want."

They turned around to head back to their house, but in the distance, a wolf's tortured cry rang through the night. Carlisle turned to Alice and the two of them turned to look in the direction of Sam's land. There was another yelp followed by a series of snarls and howls. Alice took a step forward but Carlisle put a hand in front of her, "We can't Alice."

A minute later, Jacob, Leah and Masen headed in their direction.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked.

"The stranger came back," Alice said, "We were closing in on him, almost caught him but we had to stop at the boundary line."

There was another howl and Jacob backed away before phasing, attempting to communicate with Sam and the others telepathically. He stood with his paws at the line, growing and barking until Paul showed up. The two of them went back and forth with simliar snorts and grunts until Jacob nudged Masen.

"What?" Masen asked.

Jacob tried to instruct him to join him on the other side, but when he was unsuccessful, he phased back and told him to go with him because Jared was seriously hurt.

"Can I do that?" Masen asked.

Paul paced in a circle on the other side before phasing back too. "Just come on," he said impatiently, "Sam will understand," he looked at Carlisle, Alice and Leah, "Just you though."

Masen looked back at Carlisle and darted off with Paul and Jacob as they phased back.

"Can you tell what's going on?" Carlisle asked Alice.

"There's too many of them," she told him, referring to the wolves.

Thirty seconds or so passed, before they heard Jacob and Sam's aggressive growls. A third wolf, probably Paul, chimed in with his own series of barks before the three of them went silent. Jared's painful screams became dull and less frequent.

"I'm only here because Paul asked me to heal him," Masen's voice came. "If you don't let me, he's going to die. He's passed out from the pain."

There were a few growls before it appeared there was no further protest. Leah listened anxiously, toe to toe with Carlisle and Alice by the border line. There was a loud coughing sound and lots of deep breaths before they heard voices again.

"I almost had him," Jared's voice came in between breaths.

There were a series of voices, signaling that most, if not all of the boys, had returned to their human forms.

"If it weren't for the new treaty that you set, they would have had him before he got this far," Jacob said.

"If I wasn't fast asleep, I would have taken him down myself," Jared argued, "He tripped right over me and woke me up."

"Can't this stupid treaty be done with?" Jacob asked, apparently to Sam, "Masen just saved Jared's life."

"It's best for tonight if you guys just go back," Paul said, surprisingly calm, "Thanks Masen. It's not the best time to talk right now."

"It's-" Jacob started, but Masen cut him off.

"Fair enough," he said, "Come on Jake."

Relief filled everyone's minds as Masen and Jacob were back on their side of the boundary momentarily.

"They're so stubborn," Jacob said loudly.

"We can probably talk another time," Masen told him, "Paul seemed pretty rational."

"I'm going back to bed," he told them before slowly walking back toward his house.

Leah yawned.

"You should too," Masen said.

"Are you alright?" Carlisle asked.

He nodded, "I'm fine."

"Jared?"

"He's good."

"We were so close," Alice said.

"We'll get another chance," Carlisle told them, "He'll be back."

Masen wasn't sure what to do when they were passing Leah's house. She looked at him, as if to ask if he was going to stay with her while she slept, though he wasn't sure how his father felt about it.

"I'll see you at home... some time." Carlisle told him, patting his back as he and Alice continued to walk out of the reservation.

"Okay," Masen said, walking toward Leah's front door, pleased that Carlisle had made the decision easy for him.

"Call us if he comes back," Alice said.

Masen and Leah agreed before heading inside.


	21. Forgiven

**Chatper 21**

Esme sat on the couch upstairs across from Rosalie, flipping through a photo album. Her daughter talked in a loving baby voice and planted kisses all over William's cheeks. A radio sat on a table by the wall with Rosalie's Ipod streaming from it. She sang along with the lyrics of a newer song to her son and moved his arms gently to make it look like he was dancing.

Esme looked up and smiled at their interaction, "I'm happy you're so happy," she told her, "You don't know how many times I've wished this for you over our lifetime."

"Well, we just didn't know the right time to wish," Rosalie said happily. She touched his nose, "He's so precious."

"He really is," Esme agreed, still smiling, "It looks like he'll have your blond hair." She ran a hand through the peach fuzz that lingered on William's nearly bald head.

Rosalie kissed his forehead, "So how many days are going going to stay mad at Carlisle?"

Esme shrugged and continued to flip through the photo book, "We already had the same discussion months ago about meeting with Aro. He knew how upset it made me then, especially because Alice told us both that Aro would have killed him."

"You know," Rosalie said, "I used to think Carlisle was the exception, but all men are kind of stupid."

Esme couldn't help but laugh.

"It's true," her daughter said with an accompanying laugh.

"What makes me mad is that he lied to me about it. At least if we talked and had different views, it would be a justified disagreement. He didn't even let me give him my opinion. It's just, not like him."

"I understand, but he knew you'd worry. His intentions weren't malicious. He wanted to protect you to keep you from either going with them, or worrying about it."

"Would you have been mad at Emmett?"

Rosalie smiled wide, and snickered, "I'd be pissed at Emmett."

Esme laughed.

"But, you know him well enough to know that he did it for good reasons. Alice knew they'd be safe and they did get some good information to help us," she shrugged, "He knows he screwed up, but I can't stand to see him sulking around here anymore."

"I know," Esme said with a sigh.

"Plus I sort of have an extra soft spot in my heart for him now since he delivered William."

Esme looked adoringly at the baby leaning against Rosalie's chest before flipping to the last page of the album. There were two pictures on the page. One was a close-up of Alice and Jasper, and the other was of her and Carlisle, both of which were taken in the downstairs living room just after their fight with the Volturi. She felt herself smile, and suddenly felt a little bad for keeping him on edge for days.

Rosalie leaned forward a few inches to see what her mother was looking at. "I think he deserves a little leeway."

"Yeah," Esme agreed. Her mind drifted to the image of Aro's hands around Carlisle's neck as she and Masen ran toward him during the fight. It was something that haunted her every so often, and she suddenly felt even more guilty for prolonging her passive aggressive silent treatment tactics to show her displeasure of her husband's decisions.

"Want me to reassemble the bed for you?" Emmett called from downstairs, where he eavesdropped while playing Xbox.

Rosalie handed William to Esme.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To help with your reconciliation with Carlisle," she explained, "Yeah, Em, come on."

Esme cuddled William close to her, and smiled at his little baby noises. She gently ran her hand over his and laid back comfortably on the couch until Rosalie returned with Emmett in tow.

"Come to Papa," Emmett said, extending his arms.

Esme smiled wide at the way he gushed over his son.

"I can't wait until he's old enough to play ball," he said, "I want him to start dunking when he's like three feet tall."

Rosalie smiled and shook her head.

Carlisle and Alice entered through the back door. They all heard Jasper and Luciana's footsteps approach.

"You get him?" Jasper asked.

"No," Carlisle said, "We tracked him all the way to the boundary in the middle of the reservation, then we had to back off."

"Is my dad okay?" Bella asked.

"He's fine," Alice assured her, looking at the clock, "Charlie will be getting up for work soon anyway. No one will bother them tonight."

"If at all," Carlisle finished, "We don't think he was purposely going after your father. He was just close enough where we didn't want to take any chances."

"Masen had to go onto Sam's land," Alice told them.

"Jared was hurt?" Edward asked, already knowing.

She nodded, "Paul let him and Jacob go for a few minutes."

"What did Sam think?"

Alice shrugged, "We don't know, but Masen saved Jared's life."

"We'll catch up to him if he comes around again," Carlisle assured them, "It's just a shame that we've been forced to be divided. Things work much better when we work together."

Esme, Rosalie and Emmett came down stairs to join the conversation with William tucked neatly in Emmett's arm.

"I'll take a watch tomorrow night," Emmett told them.

"No," Jasper said, "There's plenty of us. You should stay in."

"Yeah, he's right," Bella agreed.

Emmett didn't protest, nodding at Jasper's words.

"Was it the same one that intruder on my father?" Luciana asked.

Alice shook her head, "No. But we're looking out for that one too."

She nodded before Jasper asked if she'd like to resume their game of pool. Alice looked down at her Ugg boots, which were splattered with mud, "I knew I shouldn't have worn these." She shook her head and took them off, "Have to attempt to get this dirt off."

Rosalie and Emmett made their way back upstairs to relax and spend more time together with William. Carlisle noticed Bella playfully hit Edward's side as she asked him to play her melody on the piano. He kissed her temple and they walked lazily into the other room.

Renesme appeared, and dragged herself downstairs, apparently waking up from everyone's chatter. She gave a long yawn from beneath her tired eyes and crossed into the kitchen to get a bottle of water before heading back upstairs.

Esme laughed, "I forget that she sleeps."

Carlisle looked a little surprised that Esme was speaking to him, "Yeah. It doesn't always my mind."

They heard her door shut upstairs.

He stared at Esme, hoping that wouldn't be the end of their conversation. When she didn't leave, he decided to speak. "Can we have that talk?"

She nodded and lead him upstairs. When they entered, he seemed a little relieved that their bed was back in it's original place, though he didn't say anything about it.

"I want to really apologize to you Esme," Carlisle said, "I honestly can say I did not want to keep it from you that we were meeting with Aro, but I did and you have evey right to stay mad at me. I know you wouldn't have lied to me if the situations were reversed. I won't go too in depth trying to justify myself, but I knew that you wouldn't allow me to go, and I've been waiting for a long time to have a civilzed conversation with him. When Alice told me it was safe to do so, I decided to take the chance. I only did it because I thought it would help us."

Esme looked down and then back up at him, "Next time, regardless of how much I disagree with you, I want you to be honest with me. As long as we've been together, we've never had a problem doing that for each other."

He nodded, "I know."

"Maybe I would have still been angry.. or more scared.. if you decided to go regardless... but at least I would have been able to give you my input. I think I deserve that much as your wife."

Carlisle shifted his eyes around the room, then looked back at her, "I agree. I felt guilty from the second we made the decision to go."

Esme hugged him, and felt the best she had in days, feeling his body up against hers. She felt him take a long, deep breath. "You know what Alice saw the last time we had this talk," she said to him, not breaking the hug, "And I know this time was different, but if something happened to you Carlisle, and to Edward... Poor Bella was a wreck. They've only been married for a few years. Could you imagine what she was feeling too?"

Carlisle sensed she was beginning to get worked up again, and he gently rubbed her back and kissed her forehead, "I can't continue to make excuses for taking the risk to go meet with him. Edward and I would have felt the same way if it were the two of you that did that. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I'm very sorry for making you worry like the way that I did."

Esme leaned back to look into his eyes. They begged her for her forgiveness, and she knew he deserved it. There wasn't a bone in her body that wanted to stay mad at him any longer. Although it had only been a few days, she missed his warmth, his hugs and his subtle methods of affection.

Carlisle continued to wait for her response, and gave a half smile as she ran a hand through his hair.

Esme closed her eyes and kissed him once, then grabbed his face a little firmer than she needed to, "Just don't do that to me again."

He smiled wide as she let him go, happy that she was somewhat back to normal. "I won't."


	22. Travis

**Chapter 22**

"You should go," Esme told Carlisle, "I'm sure everyone can handle it here for a couple hours."

Carlisle shrugged and looked at the clock on the night stand. It was only two o'clock in the afternoon. The distractions of the renegade coven had caused him to completely forget that he, as well as Charlie, were scheduled to receive service awards at a dinner in the center of town later that night.

"Sue and Charlie were planning on sitting with us," Esme said.

Carlisle smiled and laid across the bed with the remote to the television, "You mean you and Sue were planning on it."

"Something like that," she said with a grin, shuffling through her closet for possible things to wear, "And I think it would be a nice honor. Don't you?"

"I suppose," he said, "I mean it's nice of them to give something like that out."

"How formal do you think it will be?"

"I had originally thought of wearing a pair of khakis and a buttondown with a tie."

Esme nodded and continued to pull a few random dresses out that she thought would work for the occasion.

"I guess our minds are made up," Carlisle said with a laugh.

She smiled, "You really don't want to go?"

"I do," he said, "I just thought I'd try to catch up with the person tonight."

"If they come back," Esme told him.

Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"Me and Jasper have it covered," Alice entered the room, "Edward and Bella are going to go with you tonight. For you and Charlie."

They both nodded.

"My visions have been changing a lot, but someone may show up at the event."

"What do you mean someone?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know for sure."

"One of us?"

She nodded, "Yes. Possibly the one we chased, but I can't be sure because I never got a clear look last night."

Carlisle looked at Esme, then back to Alice, who continued, "But like I said, I've seen multiple things. He hasn't made up his mind yet. That's why me and Jasper are going to stick around here. I don't think he has a clue about my ability to read the future. Between the four of you, you'll have plenty of people at the banquet in case he does show up."

"We could always excuse ourselves, or have Bella and Edward go if we catch the scent," Esme told him.

"How does he know about the event?" Carlisle asked.

"Your name was in the paper, and on a flyer by the town hall," Alice told him, "I think that's how he knows." She shrugged and walked out, calling back, "I'll let you know if I see anything else for sure."

"Well, this ought to be interesting," he said to Esme.

"The good thing is, we can prepare for what to do in case he shows up."

"Do you really want him to show up there?"

"This could be a good opportunity to catch him," Esme said, "He'll have no idea what we know."

"I better wear my older shoes," he said, "In case we'll be running all over town."

Edward pointed across the banquet hall to where Charlie and Sue sat, "There they are." As they approached, Sue waved and Charlie gave a 'hello nod' before standing up when they got closer.

"Hey Bells," he said with a smile, hugging his daughter tightly.

"I'm so proud of you," Bella told him, "You deserve this."

Charlie shrugged humbly and said hello to Edward before shaking hands with Carlisle and giving Esme a hug.

They all found seats around the table and Edward laughed at Charlie and Carlisle's thoughts.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Nothing," he said lightly, "I'll tell ya later."

Carlisle shook his head quickly back and forth at his son.

"Or maybe not," Edward told her.

A waitress came by with a pitcher of water and filled all of their empty glasses. "The food will be out momentarily," she said in a friendly manner.

They all nodded and said thank you.

"I'm about the tribe's spllit," Esme said to Sue.

Sue shook her head, "It doesn't make any sense. I feel so bad, Seth's been so upset."

"It's not his fault. I hope he knows that."

"I think everyone knows it except for him... and Sam and Paul and the rest of them."

"We're all here for him," Esme said, "None of us feel that way."

"Thank you," she said shaking her head.

A man stepped up to the front of the room and spoke into a microphone that sat on top of a wooden podium, "Dinner is ready," his voice projected, "There is a buffet style serving station on either side of the room. Please feel free to help yourselves. Once everyone is about settled, we'll start the opening words."

The six of them rose and got plates of food from the buffet that was closest to them. Bella only got a small salad, and Edward snickered upon hearing a few jealous women's thoughts nearby, assuming she stayed so thin because she didn't eat.

"Why do you keep laughing?" Bella asked.

"Just a couple of jealous... cougars," he said with a smirk.

Charlie and Sue made their way back with full plates before Carlisle and Esme re-joined them at the table shortly afterwards.

Edward laughed to himself again as Charlie found himself wondering if they ate human food. Bella shot him another look.

"It's nothing," he said with a wide smile.

"You're awfully giggly tonight Edward," Esme said.

"I apologize," he told her, still smiling.

Bella tossed a crouton at him, which made him laugh a little more.

"Bella," Charlie said with a disapproving face. Sue and Esme looked at each other and shared a laugh.

A few people walked by, saying hello to Charlie and Carlisle on their travels with a quick congratulations before a stout man with glasses and white hair began the opening statements.

Bella tried not to gag as she choked down bits of lettuce and perfectly cut cucumbers. Edward found it entertaining and munched on a couple spoonfulls of mashed potatoes. He found the softer foods easier to get down.

"The venom usually destroys it once it gets to your stomach," he whispered to her, "But sometimes it doesn't get that far and you have to throw it back up."

Bella made a disgusted face.

"Let me know if you need to, or if you feel... sick."

She found herself in awe that vampires were capable of throwing up.

"It's kind of a forced vomit," he continued to explain, "Eventually it'll get destroyed, but it's just uncomfortable and feels like it's stuck in your throat."

"Gross," she whispered.

Several people were called up to the stand before it was Charlie's turn. When his name got called, Bella cheered loudly and clapped proudly for her father. He timidly walked up and shook hands with the mayor before giving a quick 'thank you' and returning to his seat. Sue gave him a kiss on the cheek upon his return. Ten minutes went by before Carlisle went through the same routine.

As he shook the man's hand and took the award, Edward could sense something was wrong. He looked at Esme, who had also picked up on the sudden expression change on his face. No one else in the room would have noticed because it was so slight. It was only a matter of a few seconds before the scent from the hat reached the sensors in each of their noses.

Bella suddenly tightened up and looked at Edward. Esme looked at them both as Carlisle began to make his way back to the table.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Charlie asked lightly.

"Um, I'm going to use the bathroom," she told him, "I feel like I'm going to be sick." It was the only excuse she could think of due to the conversation that she and Edward just had.

Edward looked back at his parents as the two of them exited the banquet hall in search of the second rogue vampire that had stumbled upon their area.

"That way!" Edward told Bella, pointing behind the hall. They ran at a human pace until they were out of the parking lot before running full speed at the unexpecting intruder.

When he finally got wind that they were closing in on him, he changed course and tried to lose them. It was less than a minute before Edward got his hands on the predator and wrestled him to the ground.

"Who are you?" he asked, "What do you want?"

The young man's eyes burned red and he smiled, " Edward right? Or Emmett?"

"I asked for your name first."

"Travis," he told him, "My name is Travis." He stared approvingly at Bella.

"You were messing with the Volturi," Edward said, "Are you really that stupid?"

Travis cocked his head back and laughed, "Stupid? No."

"Well it's not smart. When were you created?"

The man thought for a moment, "Virginia,1992." His statement was almost like a question.

"From your reckless actions I might have thought you were a newborn. You know your friend was destroyed in Italy. The one you fled with."

"I lost my hat in that mess," he said nonchalantly in a heavy southern drawl.

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Edward asked.

"Why don't your girlfriend ever talk?" Travis asked.

Edward pulled on his arms roughly, "My wife," he corrected him.

"You know you picked a fight with the wrong people. The Volturi will kill you," Bella told him.

"They didn't kill you?" Travis went on, "Even after the births of several immortal children."

"The children, who grow very rapidly, don't crave human blood. They aren't even children for long."

"Well," he continued, "Several of us fell victim to the Volturi's rules in years passed. Children we raised were massacred. Now all of a sudden it's acceptable?" He raised his voice and overemphasized the last word.

"We haven't made or broken any rules," Edward said firmly.

"I couldn't care less what you all do," Travis told him coldly, "But we've finally got the numbers to make an impact on our culture. To take over. Why should you all be pardoned for your immortal children, while we suffered?"

"They're not immortal," Bella told him again.

"Are they vampire children?" Travis asked.

Neither of them answered.

"Are they vampires?" he asked again, this time more forcefully.

"They are animal feeding vampires who grow into adults within a year of their birth," Edward explained.

Travis shook his head, "Then you should suffer what we had to. We were stripped of loved ones in cold blood. Many of us. Others just wish to belong and they believe in vengance against the hipocrites that claim to enforce our laws."

"We have nothing to do with them," Edward told him, continuing to pull on his arms.

"I don't care," he said again, "You're involved. You've chosen to tamper with the rules. Right after I was turned, I realized my little brother had been bitten too. He was six," Travis shook his head, "They killed him! It wasn't even his fault."

Edward and Bella looked at each other, suddenly feeling bad for him.

"I was seventeen, working on my father's farm," Travis told them, "My little brother Peter was playing in the cornfields when we were approached by a man. He attacked Peter and I tried to fight him off, but he bit me and ran because, from what I found out later, there were too many witnesses nearby. The two of us went through the change together, and it wasn't long after that they killed him."

Edward loosened his grip slightly, "I'm sorry for your loss," he said sincerely, "But that has nothing to do with us. We haven't done anything wrong and we don't hurt people, even humans. That's why our eyes are golden. We keep to ourselves."

Travis looked up at Bella, unable to see Edward behind him. He notcied her eye color, "How do you feed?"

"We only eat animals," Edward explained.

Carlisle and Esme came to the place in the woods where they'd tracked down Travis and he noticed their eye color right away.

"So that's how you were able to sit amongst the humans," he said.

"I'll explain what he told us later," Edward said to Carlisle, then referred back to Travis, "This is my father Carlisle and my mother Esme."

"You're too close in age," Travis said, "But I've heard your names pass through our discussions."

"Not biological parents," Edward told him, "But they do have a biological son."

"Yes, I know," he told him.

"He's full grown. He's a man. His birthday was a little over a year ago."

"I've heard this all," Travis said.

"So why are you still persuiting an empty fight."

"Because I can. There is nothing for me to lose."

Edward found himself pondering Travis's thoughts. He knew there was nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose - nevermind a growing coven of vampires.


	23. Decisions

**I know... tons of chapters today. I didn't have work because of yet another snow storm so here's the product of my downtime.**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

"What do we do with him?" Rosalie asked, "He's clearly a threat."

Travis had become a hostage in Alice and Jasper's house. They stayed with him there while the rest of the family met and discussed what to do.

"I say we just kill him, take him out," Emmett said, "He already gave us the information we needed."

"He may be of future use to us," Carlisle told them, "We still don't know a whole lot about this particular group."

"He rattled off names and locations," Emmett said, "He's given us all he's got."

"He's expecting to die, "Edward chimed in.

Carlisle looked around, "Are we then no better than the Volturi?"

"I'd normally agree, Carlisle," Esme said, "But with William being in this stage of his life, it would put him at great risk."

He nodded in agreeance, then looked at Rosalie, "What are your feelings?"

"He's made it clear that he wants to attack us," she looked down at William, "And he has it out for children. I don't want to risk his life, Carlisle. I don't even care if that makes me a bad person."

"You're not a bad person, Rosalie," Carlisle said, "You're a mother protecting her child," he looked to Esme, then to the rest of them, "I guess that settles the issue."

Emmett rushed out of the house to go tell Jasper what they had decided to do. Carlisle felt guilty, but felt it was the right decision in order to protect the rest of the family, particularly William.

"Thanks," Rosalie said as he passed by.

Carlisle smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder with a nod.

"I kind of need to hunt. Do you want to take him?"

"Sure," he said, taking William from her arms.

Rosalie handed him a bottle, "I think it's about that time. He's a little restless."

Carlisle smiled and made his way by the front window to watch the light snowfall as he fed William, talking to him in a soothing voice as he took rapid gulps from the bottle.

Bella noticed Esme with a blissful smile on her face as she looked over at them. She turned to Edward, who took the words out of her mouth, "You want another one huh?"

Esme and Carlisle both turned to them and Bella smiled, "I think you should."

"We have to give it some time to let Rosalie soak everything in on her own," Esme said.

"By the time the next eclipse rolls around, he'll be old enough," Edward said. He saw that their thoughts were mixed, mainly because of the renegades nearby, "I'm sure the renegades will be taken care of by then, Carlisle."

He smiled, "Thanks for the concern," he looked at Esme briefly then back to Edward, "It'll be a discussion for later on."

"Well, you had the same thought," Edward told them, "That's the only reason why I said anything." He put an arm around Bella.

Carlisle looked to William, then back up at Esme who gave him a subtle shrug and smile. He chuckled, "Let's take care of the problem at hand first."

"He's still hungry," Edward said, finding another bottle in Rosalie's baby bag. He handed it to Carlisle and William's tiny hands immediately grasped the sides as he continued to feed.

A text message came through to Carlisle's phone and he motioned for Esme to check it. She reached in his pocket and read the name on the caller ID, "Emmett."

"What did he say?"

"He said it's done."

They all exchanged glances, accepting Travis's fate in wake of their own family's safety. Carlisle's phone went off again, this time it was the ringer signaling an incoming call. Esme looked confused, "It's the Denali's."

"Answer it."

"Hello," Esme said. They heard Kate's frantic voice on the other line, "Okay. Okay." Esme looked upset, "Yes. We will. Right now." She hung up.

"What?" Carlisle asked concerned.

"Is Masen with Leah?"

"Yes. Did something happen to him?"

"No," Esme's voice was frantic, "We need to get him up to the Denali's."

"What happened?" Bella asked. She noticed Edward's horrified expression. He began dialing Masen's number and had him on the line within minutes.

Esme looked at Carlisle with the saddest of eyes.

"What happened, Esme?"

She shook her head, not wanting to speak the words out loud.

"He's on his way over," Edward told them.

"What's going on?" Carlisle and Bella asked at the same time.

"Kate and Garrett had a baby," Esme told him, "They-they were attacked... unexpectedly."

Bella suddenly felt sick to her stomach, "Don't tell me they attacked their baby."

Esme nodded and tears welded up in her eyes, "They need Masen's help."

"We'll go up there with him," Edward volunteered, referring to himself and Bella.

Masen burst through the front door five minutes later, "What happened to the Denali's?"

"Me and Bella will tell you on the way," Edward said, "We have to go now."

"Be careful, please be careful," Esme said, pulling Masen to her, followed quickly by Bella and then Edward.

"We will," Bella assured her, "Tell Renesme why we left so fast."

The three of them paraded out the door, not taking the time to close it on the way out.

Carlisle set the bottle down on the coffee table by the couch and adjusted William so he rested flat on his chest. He closed the door and pulled Esme toward him, "It'll be okay. Masen will get there. He'll fix things."

She shook her head and put a hand over her mouth, "God, I hope so."

"He will," Carlisle assured her, kissing her forehead, "He'll heal their baby."

"How can anyone do something like that?" She sniffed in hard and placed her hand on William's face.

"Nothing's going to happen to William," he told her, wiping a few tears from her cheek.

"Poor Kate and Garrett," she said in a whisper, leaning the side of her face against Carlisle's chest so she was eye to with William. He stroked her hair gently and rested his chin on her head.

William reached his hand over and touched Esme's face. She reached up and held his hand in hers, causing a little baby snicker to leave his mouth. Esme let out a quick laugh, sending a few tears down her face.

Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Luciana entered through the back, and sensed something was off based on the way Carlisle and Esme stood with William.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked.

Esme stood up strait and wiped her face.

"Esme, what happened?"

Carlisle handed William over to Emmett, "The Danali's were attacked. Kate and Garrett had a baby during the eclipse, as well, and they were ambushed by a pack of these rogue vampires."

"Don't tell me..." Alice said.

"Edward and Bella took Masen up there to try to heal their child."

Alice threw a hand over her mouth, and Emmett seemed to cuddle William closer to his body. Luciana and Jasper gave each other sad, helpless looks. It wasn't long before Rosalie returned, and everyone looked hesitant to tell her of the attack. When she finally got it out them, a few tears slid down her face and she said confidently, "I don't care if there's a thousand of them. No one is going to hurt my baby."


	24. Tickets to Paradise

**Chapter 24**

Esme sat in the chair at Carlisle's desk in his office scrolling through flights on their lap top. He stood behind her with one hand on the back of the chair and the other on top of the desk, scanning the flight times on the screen with his eyes.

"There's one that leaves tomorrow morning from Seattle," Esme said.

"How about the one for later in the afternoon," he told her, pointing to the one just below it, "Give them some time to pack."

She nodded, "Okay," and pushed the confirm button before purchasing two round trip airplane tickets. Her fingers rattled frantically over the keys, trying to find out more information.

Carlisle settled her down by placing his hands over hers lightly, "Esme, it's all going to be okay."

She took a deep breath and let her hands lay still beneath his on the keyboard, "I have to stop being so crazy, I know," she said.

He kissed her on the cheek, "You're not crazy. You love your family."

Esme tried to smile and turned to kiss him, "I hate seeing them at risk like this."

"So do I. Alice said this will be a good solution to keep them safe."

She nodded and Carlisle brought his mouth to hers again gently, "Come on."

They made their way downstairs to where Alice had already talked to Rosalie and Emmett. "I think we're all set," she said.

Carlisle nodded, "We booked tickets for your trip just now. The plane leaves at three tomorrow afternoon."

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Rosalie asked. She looked at Emmett.

"You won't need us?" he asked Carlisle, "What if they decide to attack?"

"The important thing is getting William to a safer location," Carlisle said, "We'll be fine."

"Think of it as a second honeymoon," Alice said to lighten the situation, "No one will bother you there. No one but us will know where you even are."

"Isle Esme," Emmett said, tossing the remote from hand to hand.

"While you guys are all here defending us," Rosalie finished.

"It's for your own good," Carlisle told her.

She nodded and looked down at William, "He could be a lot older when we get back."

"I packed a video camera and your regular digital camera in a bag already," Esme told them, "So make sure you take lots of pictures of him."

"We want him to grow here," Emmett said with a saddened look on his face.

"He will," Carlisle said, "This is just temporary. Weeks at most."

"At most," Alice emphasized.

Emmett put an arm around Rosalie's shoulders, "I guess we should pack then."

She nodded and they headed upstairs.

Esme's phone went off and she picked it up immediately, "Masen!" she shouted into the phone.

Masen stood in the living room in Denali. He had his cell phone pressed against his ear and tried to block out the overwhelmingly happy chatter and crying in the background. "Mom," he said. Her voice came frantically in a series of questions that he couldn't possibly answer at all once. Tanya ran up and put an arm over Masen's shoulders, putting her mouth close to the receiver, "Your son is a blessing from God," she yelled.

Kate continued to sob from happiness in the corner of the room, unable to control herself. The rest of her family was amazed at her ability to cry. Garrett squatted next to her, holding their baby girl Madison.

"I was able to help," Masen said to Esme over the phone, "She's okay. Everyone's alright up here." He waited upon hearing her ecstatic response, "Her name is Madison, or Maddy is what Garrett calls her."

"She's beautiful," Edward shouted.

Masen continued his conversation with Esme before returning to the Denali family. He looked over at the precious baby in Garrett's arms and smiled. Kate suddenly rushed across the room and nearly knocked Masen to the ground with a forceful, appreciative hug. "Thank you. Thank you. God, thank you."

"You really are like an angel Masen," Garrett told him from across the room.

He winced as Kate continued her tight embrace around him and smiled, "Thanks," he choked out.

"Oh, am I hurting you?" she asked with a smile, wiping tears from her eyes.

Masen laughed, "I'm alright."

Eleazar hugged Masen right after, "You have no idea how you've saved us. This would have been a tremendous tragedy for our family," he looked to Kate, "You've shed tears. But how?"

She shrugged using a tissue to wipe under her eyes, "I don't know."

"My parents and Masen have been able to cry too," Edward said, "We think it has something to do with the conception process."

"Have you cried, Bella?" Carmen asked.

Bella shook her head, "Not since the transformation. Maybe because I had Renesme while I was still human."

Everyone turned and looked at Madison again.

"What did you say Emmett and Rosalie named their child?" Garrett asked.

"William," Edward and Bella said at the same time.

"Hmm.." Garrett said.

Edward laughed, "Thinking of playing match maker?"

Kate laughed, "She's only three days old. I don't think we should marry her off just yet."

"Just a thought," he said with a hint of a laugh.

"We have to do something against these vagabond vampires," Eleazar told them.

"They've been in our area, as well," Edward told him, "We weren't sure if it was just a random stranger passing through, or something else, but Alice had said that Aro seemed to know something, so Carlisle and I met with him a few days ago, just have William was born."

"With Aro?" Carmen asked surprised.

"We met with him on neutral grounds, in Toronto," Edward explained, "They had been having the same problems. These renegades as he called them were trying to invade their territory until they caught up with one and destroyed him. It made them back off. When we met with them, Marcus gave us a hat that belonged to one that got away. He showed up in our area hours before we came up here. We got information from him, then as a family we voted on his fate and decided he had to be destroyed for our safety."

"How many are we talking?" Eleazar asked.

"Fifty or so."

"Fifty?" Tanya asked with wide eyes.

"The one we killed, Travis, he said they have a grudge against vampires having children and not being punished for it. They think the Volturi are hipocrites for letting it go on, especially after our last altrication with them. Apparently all, of most of them, have experienced great loss at the hands of the Volturi. For a lot of them it was immortal children. They think conceiving a child is no different, and decided to rebel against the system."

"It's far different," Kate said, "We know first hand."

"I know," Edward agreed, "But from what Travis told us, they all feel as though they have nothing to lose. They aren't scared to die."

"Which makes them all the more dangerous," Eleazar said.

"We thought the same thing."

"Fifty..." Kate stated. She looked down at Madison and then to Garrett.

"My mom just told me that they booked a flight to Isle Esme for Rosalie, Emmett and William," Masen told Kate, "It's where Edward and Bella went on their honeymoon. My parents have taken vacations there. It's way off the grid. Most people don't know it even exists."

Edward nodded at the idea playing in Masen's head.

"Rose and Emmett are leaving?" Bella asked.

Masen nodded, "Maybe the three of you should with them. Meet them down in Brazil and go off to the island for now, until this is settled."

"I can't just leave you all to fight my battles," Garrett said, "It's not fair."

"It's fair," Edward said, "You've done a lot to help us on several occassions. If it will keep Madison safe, I think you should consider it."

"Go," Tanya told them, "You should do that. It will put you out of harms way."

"And leave you right in the path of destruction," Kate said, "I can't leave you all in this time of crisis."

"I think you must," Carmen said, "For the sake of the baby."

"Garrett," Edward said, "I know you want to stay and defend what's right, but for her, you need to do this."

"When are they leaving?" Garrett asked.

"In a few hours," Masen told him.

"Hours?"

"That's too soon," Kate said.

"Even if you book a later flight," Bella told them, "You could meet them."

"Carmen, get the computer," Eleazar said.

She immediately return with a lap top and rushed to the couch to begin searching.

"You're all serious." Garrett stated.

"I think it could be a good idea," Kate told him, "For Maddy."

"I'll start packing up some things," Tanya told them, "You may have to buy bathing suits on your way down."

Garrett looked at Kate, "Okay. Let's do it."

Masen called Emmett, "You'll have three more joining you on your trip."


	25. God Given Blessings

**Chapter 25**

Garrett, Kate and Madison arrived at the Cullens house with a few suitcases full of clothes and tons of baby bottles and toys. Emmett's Jeep was packed similarly as the two couples prepared to leave on their impromptu vacation.

Esme packed a few extra bags filled with Masen and Renesme's old clothes to give to Rosalie and Kate, seeing as their children would be growing so rapidly over the course of their trip. She walked out with the bags to where Rosalie and Kate were introducing their little ones to each other. Emmett and Garrett got chatting in the driveway, as well.

"I have some of Masen's old clothes for William and Renesme's old clothes for Madison," Esme told them, she looked at Kate's baby for the first time and felt tears begin to weld up in her eyes at the thought of someone harming her. She held them back, "Just in case they grow out of the ones they have on now."

"Thank you," Kate said with a big smile. Garrett came and took the bag before Kate gave Esme a long hug, "We're so grateful for what Masen did."

Esme brushed her hair over Madison's hair, "I'm so glad she's okay. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"I was in a panic," she said, "I don't know-" Kate forced herself to stop talking so she wouldn't break down. Esme hugged her tighter, "You're all together now. That's what matters."

Carlisle walked down to where everyone else was and shook hands with Garrett before admiring their baby himself, "I'm very happy for the two of you."

"Thank you," they both said.

"I think we better get going," Emmett told them, he took the bag of boys clothes from Garrett, which Esme had color coded with pink and blue bags.

"Be safe," Carlisle told him with a hug.

"We will," Rosalie said, hugging both of them tightly.

"We're very grateful for what your son did for us," Garrett told Carlisle.

He looked as Kate made her way into their car, buckling Madison in her car seat. "We're glad she's alright. She's beautiful."

"Thanks," he told him with a smile.

Emmett hugged Carlisle once more, "Call us if you need any help with the situation. I'll be on the first flight back."

Carlisle nodded, "Let us know when you arrive."

Everyone else made their way out of the house to say their goodbyes and wished them luck on their travels. The two cars made their way out of the driveway and off to Seattle.

Alice suddenly grabbed Masen and pulled him in for a hug, "You saved that little baby."

He nodded, unsure of what to say in her abrupt moment of affection, "Yeah."

"We're so lucky to have you, Mase. You know that?" she looked over to Carlisle and Esme, "It really does feel like he was sent from Heaven. I think there is a place for us after this life, should it ever end."

Jasper took her hand and the two of them walked toward the garage.

"Where are you going?" Esme asked.

"To church," Jasper told her. They both smiled and Jasper opened the passenger door of his car for Alice before he got in and they pulled away.

Carlisle smiled to himself, feeling glad that the two of them experienced faith because of Masen's actions. His views on the afterlife were constantly in question, though the people his son has helped, he felt, could not be accidental.

"What's wrong?" he asked his son, noticing a slightly sad expression on his face.

Masen sighed and a few stray tears that he couldn't hold back fell from his eyes, though he kept his voice steady, "You should have seen Madison when I got to her," he shook his head, "It was the worst thing I've ever seen."

Esme approached him and gave a hug, rubbing his back as she did.

"Mom, I can't believe Kate and Garrett had to see that. Garrett was hysterical, screaming and crying and trying to comfort Kate at the same time," he clenched his teeth beneath his lips so he wouldn't cry even more, "I can't even begin to describe Madison's condition."

Esme felt tears drop from her eyes, which landed elegantly on the front of Masen's shirt, "I'm sorry honey. It must have been so overwhelming."

Masen stepped backward and wiped a hand across his face. "We have to stop these guys."

Carlisle put a hand on his back, "We will."

Seth and Luciana appeared on the front step, each with a handful of tissues.

"Here," Seth said, handing his to Esme. Luciana passed hers off to Masen.

"Thanks," they both said.

"I'm going to try to arrange a meeting with Sam," Seth told them, "Maybe we can form a temporary truce to destroy these bad vampires."

Luciana looked like she wanted to say something, but was extremely hesitant. She tucked her long dark hair behind her ears. Masen found himself thinking she could pass for a member of the Kardashian family.

"What is it Lucy?" Carlisle asked, sensing she had something on the tip of her tounge.

She shook her head, "Nothing."

"You can say it," Esme urged.

"My... my dad called and just said that if things get beyond our control, he would come with some of the others... if we happen to need it. " She looked down shyly as she spoke.

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other, both seeming to be on the fence about the idea. Carlisle thought of Aro's words at their last meeting. Both he and Edward found his words to be as sincere for the love of his daughter. There would be no way the Volturi would turn on them if it came down to a fight.

"It's something to definitely consider," Carlisle told them.

Esme's expression looked concerned, but not completely in disagreeance.

Seth grabbed Luciana's hand, "Charlie's at work, so we're going over to my mom's house."

"I know I could handle being around him," Luciana told them, "But a lot's been going on and I don't want to add to the problem."

"You're doing great Lucy," Masen told her with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks," she said with a closed mouth smile. They waved and headed over to Charlie and Sue's.

"Where's Leah?" Carlisle asked Masen.

"Out with Jacob," he told them, then added, "Thanks for giving me some freedom with all of that. We're, uh, really happy."

"I know," his father said, "And you deserve to be."

Esme nodded and hugged him again with a kiss on the cheek, "You look really cute together."

Masen smiled shyly and shrugged, "Okay. I'm going inside."

Carlisle and Esme stood by the front door and he put his arm around her, "What do you think?" he asked.

"About which part?" she asked, sounding exhausted, leaning into him.

"Do we take a chance with The Volturi as allies?" he asked, "It may be an easy win with them."

"Are they trustworthy enough to be an alliance to us?"

"I don't think Aro would risk Luciana's life. He may come at this group even harder knowing she's at risk."

Esme sighed, "Maybe we can get Alice's input first."

Carlisle nodded in agreeance and pulled her to him. "We're so lucky for everyone in our family. Where would we be without them?"


	26. Pillow Talk

**Chapter 26**

The house was quiet and everyone had kept to themselves, doing their own things. Jasper and Alice agreed to keep an extra out again with Lucy and Seth, in case the original intruder came back into the area.

The atmosphere was weirdly different with the absence of Rosalie, Emmett and now William. Every member of the family felt a little discontent without them.

Esme passed through the living room where Jacob and Renesme cuddled up together to watch a video. She heard him whisper to her that William would be fine before kissing her on the cheek and pulling her head to his shoulder. She climbed the stairs and entered her room, where Carlisle laid comfortably beneath the covers watching television with the lights off.

"How was dinner?" he asked with a smile.

"Fine," she said, sliding in beside him.

He immediately cuddled her close to him and kissed her a few times before rubbing her back gently. Esme removed the baggy sweatshirt she had been wearing so she could feel his skin against hers.

"I've missed this the last few days," he told her, "When you were mad at me and everything."

She laughed, but her voice was serious, "Can we ever catch a break? This is all way too much. Sooner or later, we aren't going to get out of these battles all in one piece."

"Masen," Carlisle reminded her, "He can heal anyone."

"But what if it's him next time," Esme said, "Who's going to save him?"

"It won't be him."

"We can't possibly know that," she told him, tracing the muscular lines in his chest with her fingers.

Carlisle muted the the television, "I won't let anything happen to Masen." He brushed her face with the back of his hand and gave her a long kiss. Esme's arms wrapped around him before pulling him into an intimate hug.

A loud buzzing sound came from the night stand and Carlisle's phone was illuminated.

"Emmett," he said, reaching for it, "Hello." He sat up, looking at Esme with a reassuring nod, "Good. I'm glad. How's William and Madison?"

Esme put her ear close to the phone so she could hear everything clearly. Carlisle hit the speaker phone button so Emmett's voice was projected throughout the room.

"We're on the boat, just leaving the dock," his voice came, "The babies are fine. They charmed everyone on the plane ride."

Esme smiled, thinking of their adorable faces and little giggles.

"There should be several big gas cans on the boat in case you need it," Carlisle told him, "I refilled them before we left last time."

"Alright," Emmett's voice came in, "We'll call again once we get there, but I figured I'd let you know we're on our way."

"I know there are obvious distractions, but try to enjoy your time there."

"We will... to an extent."

"Take lots of pictures," Esme told them.

"Rose is taking some right now actually." His voice was accompanied by a light laugh. "If you need me to come back, Garrett and I already discussed it. We'll be on the first flight home. Rose and Kate could stay with William and Maddy."

"We'll be alright, son. Stay with your family," Carlisle said.

"You're my family too," he told them.

"We love you," Esme said.

"Love you guys too. I'll have Rose call when we get to the Island."

"Alright," Carlisle told him, "Be safe."

"You guys too."

He hung up the phone and placed it back on the nightstand, "Well, they got down there in good time."

"Yeah," Esme propped herself up on her elbow, "I hope they can return soon. I wonder how big they'll be when they get back." She played with her necklace and looked at Carlisle, "The baby years are too short."

He laid back down and played with the hair by the curve of her face, "You want more?"

Esme smiled, "Yes," her smile faded, "But I don't know now. After what just happened."

"What if we were to stop them?"

"I don't know. At who's risk next time? Is it smart, even if this coven is gone? What if there are others who feel the same way and take their place."

"I'm usually on the side of reason," Carlisle told her. He turned his body slightly to face her more directly, "And your argument is reasonable... but to be honest, I've never seen you and Rosalie as happy as you've been since we realized this was possible. I want you to feel the happiness you deserve without letting hateful people determine your decisions."

"I couldn't handle losing a child Carlisle," she told him, "Or even seeing what Masen described."

"I understand," he said, placing his hand on her cheek, "There's always going to be that fear, or the anxiety when it comes to losing someone you love. But it can't stop you from letting yourself love... and that includes creating something new to love." His hand drifted to her stomach, "So, if things do settle down and we can get rid of these renegades.. make the decision based on what you truly want. Not on the fear of loss."

Esme placed her hand over his on her stomach, "Would you want to? If it were safe?"

Carlisle nodded, "Yeah. I would."

"I love you," she told him, "You have no idea. Everything makes sense when it comes from you."

He placed his nose against hers, "You're the reason things make sense."

Esme's mouth hung slightly open and she let her lips graze his for a moment before initiating a series of delicate kisses. Carlisle gradually found his level of desire begin to heighten as he kissed her more passionately.

She stopped him, "Everyone's here. Masen..."

Carlisle pulled her to him and regained his self control by kissing her forehead, "Just lay with me then."

She entwined her legs with his and he flipped the television off before wrapping her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Carlisle laughed, "Don't be sorry," he kissed her once, "I just want to feel you up against me." He rolled over onto his back and guided Esme onto his chest.

"Are we going to be okay?"

"Yes," he told her, "And like I said, I'll never let anyone close enough to hurt Masen."

"And what about Aro?"

"The second Alice and Jasper get back, we'll get their input." Carlisle closed his eyes, suddenly wishing he could fall asleep to rest his mind for a few hours.


	27. Test Dummies

**Chapter 27**

She had planned her revenge for years. Her mind proved to be a dangerous weapon. There was one thing she wanted, and that was revenge. She believed in the phrase 'an eye for an eye' and now she had found the numbers to go at them with full force.

Olivia. That was her birth name, though she knew Aro had dismissed her as nothing more than a peasant. He probably hadn't remembered her name, if he even knew it in the first place. But she knew after the wrath she would bring down on his coven, he would never forget her face.

She enjoyed taunting him with her pawns, or test dummies, as she and her mate, Nicholas, called them. Thus far, both the Volturi and the Cullens had fallen for the words of the martyrs that sacrificed their lives to assure her plan would fall into place. Neither family knew she even existed, and at least for now, that's how she intended to keep it.

Olivia did not consider the Cullens her enemies. She wanted something they had, and that was Luciana. Aro had robbed her of the child she had created and now her revenge on Aro would be to destroy his own daughter in front of him. She never knew of a comparable revenge for the Volturi leader, but upon realizing he, indeed, had a biological child, she knew there would be nothing sweeter.

The test dummies were her least skilled soldiers. It was to their belief, however, that they were among the elite members of her group. Little did they know that she already had hundreds of better trained warriors preparing for the real battle with Aro and the Volturi. She knew he would never see it coming, now fully convinced that his errand boys had scared them off.

Nicholas entered their home, kissing her hand as he took a seat beside her on a self made throne. "The Cullens will surely destroy them all," he explained with a smile, "And once they do, we'll have Aro sitting back on his heels."

Olivia stroked a hand through his hair, "Guide them into the battle, then retreat back here. I'd like you to try to compromise with Carlisle before you set the test dummies free to be destroyed. Tell him we'll leave his family be if he turns over Luciana."

Nicholas smiled, "Anything for you, my dear." He leaned in and kissed his wife.

Olivia threw her arms around him. She truly did love Nicholas, though also knew she obtained the power in their relationship. For someone so profoundly handsome, his eagerness to please her was overwhelming. Their matching olive skin and jet black hair gave the pair a distinct beauty that only a sparing number of vampires possessed. They were both uniquely beautiful.

"Aro is going to pay for the pain he's caused us," she told him.

"And the Cullens? What if they don't oblige?"

Olivia thought hard, "They're a reasonable group, but if there happens to be collateral damage, so be it."

Nicholas admired the elegant, natural beauty of Olivia for a moment before heading off to the lead his group of misfits to their potential slaughter in Washington.

"And do be careful," she called after him.

"Not to worry, I'll be home in a matter of days." His voice echoed off the empty walls of their sanctuary and Nicholas headed to round up their second rate army.

"You'll meet with him very soon," Alice told Carlisle, "He's about your height. Darker skin complexion simliar to Benjamin."

"Do you know his name?"

"No. I don't know who he is."

"Thanks, Alice."

Edward and Carlisle prepared for their meeting with the mystery vampire. They were sure this was the leader of the roamers, and it was always to Carlisle's hope that some form of negotiation could take place instead of a fight.

"You think he'll want to settle this with words?" Edward asked.

Carlisle shrugged, tying his shoes, "I don't know. I'm going to try to convince him to leave here without having it come to something more." He stood up from the couch and looked at Edward, "Ready?"

He nodded and the two of them followed Alice's instructions to where the man would be waiting for them.

They had only been walking for about five minutes before the stranger came into view. They recognized his scent immediately as the one who had been constantly running throughout their territory over the last few weeks.

"Carlisle Cullen?" he asked aloud.

"Yes," Carlisle responded, "Who are you?"

He outstretched his hand, "Nicholas."

They shook hands briefly before Carlisle went on, "What is it that you're expecting from us? Why are you here?"

Right away, Edward sensed something was wrong. He could not read the man's thoughts, and he wanted to let Carlisle know, though he didn't find it to be possible at the moment.

He must be a shield, Edward thought to himself.

"I'm going to be very up front," Nicholas told him, "I'm not here in particular, for revenge on you or your family. I know you've been told of our displeasure with the Volturi, particularly Aro."

"I have," Carlisle told him, "We have nothing to do with them."

"I understand," he said, "I'm here to bargain with you."

Carlisle and Edward looked at each other and waited for him to continue.

"We want Luciana."

"What do you mean you want Luciana?" Carlisle asked.

"Aro cheated us out of our children. It's only fair that we do the same."

"Luciana is part of this family now," he explained.

"I'm going to make it very simple doctor," Nicholas told him, "If you hand her over to us, I'll call off the army we have lined up to come in and raise havoc on your people."

"And I believe I made myself clear when I told you that Luciana is part of our family."

"Are you willing to risk the life of your wife, your son, for the sake of Aro's daughter?"

Carlisle stood up, "If this is all you've got to say, then we're done here. I won't discuss this as a possibility."

"So Luciana's life is just as valuable as Esme's? As Masen's? As... Edward's?"

"Family is family," Carlisle said again.

"You're making a big mistake," Nicholas told him.

"No I'm not. You don't what you have to, but just know, we didn't cause or initiate this."

Carlisle looked at Edward and the two of them left Nicholas standing alone, watching them intently as they left.


	28. Gut Feelings

**Chapter 28**

"They're sporadic," Alice told their family, "They'll completely underestimate the wolves. We'll have one close call, but this will be nothing compared to what we've gone through with the Volturi in the past."

"You're sure?" Carlisle asked, "Even with our numbers down?"

"We'll need the Denalis," she told them, "But I don't see that being a problem."

"And Sam's pack?"

"I can't tell," Alice told him, shaking her head, "But their fighting styles are amaturish, aside from the guy you met with. He'll hold his own but..."

"But what?" Esme asked.

"He won't make it out alive."

"So we'll get out of this without any losses?" Her voice was a combination of concerned and relieved.

Alice nodded, "From what I'm seeing."

"Who will the close calls involve?" Jacob asked from the corner of the room. He had his arms folded over his chest and Renesme stood protectively close.

Alice's eyes scanned the room before they fixed on Seth and Luciana, "Lucy. Seth." She gave them a moment before repeating, "But you'll be fine. Believe me."

"I don't want add extra worry," Carlisle told them, "But Nicholas stressed that their group would be gunning for you Lucy. I don't know how else to say it, but I can't withhold that information."

"It's okay," she said, looking at Seth, then back to Carlisle, "Thanks for being honest about it."

"We won't let anything happen to you," Esme assured her, "Alice's visions are pretty accurate."

"I forgot to add that Nicholas is a shield," Edward informed them, "I couldn't read his thoughts. Hand to hand combat he's just as vulnerable as anyone, but he won't fall victim to anyone's extraordinary talents."

"So he's the leader?" Jasper asked.

"It appears so, yes."

"They're all very bitter about losing loved ones to the Volturi. That's the ammunition that's fueling them, and it's their goal to get to Luciana."

"Well, they'll have to get through all of us," Seth said firmly.

"No one is going to hurt Lucy," Esme assured him, "We won't let them."

Alice looked at the clock on the wall, "Bella, I think you should get your father out of the area if you can. Just in case."

"He's fishing."

"Where?"

"Out of town," she told them, "I'm not sure where but he left a couple days ago."

"What about Sue?"

"She went with him."

"Good," Alice said. She looked around the room, "They're not going to waste any time. They're here, they'll attack soon. We just have to cut them off before they come strait to our backyard."

"How long are we talking?" Carlisle asked.

"Less than a day."

"We need to call the Denalis." He looked to Esme, "Would you mind calling Carmen?"

She nodded, "Of course."

"This will be an even easier win than the battle with the newborns," Jasper told them, "They're fueled by emotion, so they're not thinking. They're just doing. We'll kill them off easily. And like Alice said, if they think the wolves are just a bunch of... puppies... that'll give us an even bigger edge."

Jacob and Leah exchanged subtles smiles. "So tomorrow then," Jacob asked.

Alice nodded.

He cracked his knuckles, "Better get some sleep."

Seth yawned and drew a domino effect from Leah and Renesme.

"I don't want anyone to underestimate this," Carlisle told them, "We can't sit back. These people are dangerous. They were able to ambush Garrett and Kate, and this Nicholas has an agenda."

Esme returned from the other room, "They're already on their way," she told everyone, "They want revenge for what happened to Madison."

Everyone soaked in the information that Alice had given them, as well as what Carlisle and Edward talked about with Nicholas.

Jacob cuddled up next to Renesme on the couch, spurring Edward and Bella to vacate to another part of the house.

"This seems too easy," Jasper said to Carlisle.

"They're just an unprepared group from what I get from Alice's vision. They're passionate about the message, but they're going about it all wrong."

"Can't complain about an easy win," Edward added.

Jasper nodded, trying to shrug off the uneasy feeling he had about the situation.

"What is it Jasper?" Carlisle asked.

He shook his head, "I just have a gut feeling, that's all. But Alice has seen us all fine in the future, so I can't argue with that." He forced a smile and looked at her with a sly grin.

"You haven't seen the Volturi coming here, have you?" Carlisle asked.

"No," Alice told him, "Not at all, but he will contact Luciana after the fact."

Jacob's snoring interrupted their conversation, and everyone looked over at him and Renesme asleep on the couch. Alice went over and covered the two of them with a blanket. "Come on, Jas," she said, "Let's go do something. I need to keep my mind occupied."

"Should we hunt?" Carlisle asked Esme. He studied her eye color as she nodded.

"Hey," Masen called from upstairs as they were about to leave, "Can Leah stay here on the pull out couch up here?"

"Of course," Esme told him, "Make her up a bed. There are some clean sheets and pillow cases in the hall closet a couple spare pillows in our room in the closet."

"Thanks," he said.

Carlisle took Esme by the hand and they went out to hunt.


	29. Suspicious Antics

**Chapter 29**

Jacob's pack had already destroyed a good number of the test dummies that Nicholas lead in pursuit of the Cullens and Luciana. They crossed dangerously close to Sam's territory, though his pack remained dormant.

Jasper easily destroyed three or four in less than a minute and even got a brief minute to talk to Alice, "This seems more like a mass suicide than an attack."

One of the many untrained low level fighters charged Alice who destroyed him without hardly breaking eye contact with Jasper, "Maybe that's their actual reason for coming."

They looked over as the body count continued to rise in their favor, despite being greatly outnumbered.

"Why would they do this?" he asked her with lots of suspicion in his voice, "The attack on Garrett and Kate seemed much more personal."

She shook her head and shrugged before the two of them continued to destroy the assailants.

Carlisle kept Masen and Luciana in his sights as he fought off several vampires. They seemed to be holding their own for the time being, though of their family, he knew the two of them had the least combat experience.

"Behind you," he said to Esme in time for her to flip a young man over her shoulder. As he landed on his back, Carlisle finished the job and spun his head around until it separated from his body.

In the distance, they saw Edward beginning to start a fire as Renesme helped Carmen and Tanya gather the scattered vampire parts to be burned.

"Where's Lucy?" Esme asked.

Carlisle looked around and noticed she was no longer in his sights. Nicholas began heading into the woods at full speed. " Stay close to Masen," he told her, "Will you be okay?"

Esme nodded, " Be careful."

Carlisle ran after Nicholas, who he was sure was on his way to wherever Luciana was.

Deeper into the woods, Seth and Luciana teamed up to get rid of some of the stragglers. Some of the vampires looked entirely too intimidated by Seth's ferocious snarling and sharp, exposed teeth.

"Get out of my way," Nicholas's voice came as he approached the couple. He pushed his pawns to the side and stood facing Seth, who stood protectively in front of Luciana.

Nicholas cracked his knuckles and charged Seth, completing a successful spin around his reaching jaws before getting his arms around him.

Seth cried out in pain as Nicholas began to crush his ribs.

"Seth!" Luciana cried out.

Without warning, a large black wolf broke through the bushes and tackled both Seth and Nicholas to the ground. Sam.

Seth laid on the forest floor crying out for help, fully in human form. Sam phased and now stood above him, signaling for others who were lurking just beyond the trees. Paul emerged first, followed by a few others and they immediately began to help getting him out of harm's way.

In the midst of the chaos, Nicholas closed in on Luciana. Even Seth hadn't realized in his struggle to compose himself due to the pain that continued to travel throughout his torso.

Luciana crouched to square off against Nicholas, who smiled at her menacingly.

"Scared?" he asked through a wicked smile.

"Not the least," she lied.

Nicholas charged her impulsively, seeing Olivia's face in his mind as he did. He knew how happy it would make his wife to have Aro's daughter in her hands. This would please her like nothing else.

Luciana braced for the impact, fighting off Nicholas hand to hand, and began blocking his attacks more than anything.

The two of them went back and forth before he finally saw his opening. Nicholas firmly used Luciana as leverage, pushing down on her shoulders as he was able to flip himself over the top of her, landing on his feet with an arm around her neck.

She tried to fight him off, but from the hold, found it nearly impossible.

He thought he had one, wishing to keep Luciana alive for Olivia to see. Slowly he started dragging her way from where Sam and his pack were tending to Seth. She tried to scream for them, but Nicholas cupped a hand over her mouth. As he attempted to pull her even farther from the group, he sensed something wasn't right, and all at once he was taken to the ground, sending Luciana out of his reach.

Nicholas stood up with Carlisle standing above him. He stood to his feet and crouched to fight him off.

"Nicholas," he said, "It would be best if you left now. You're outnumbered. You don't have to end like this."

"This only thing that's going to end, doctor, is you." He ran full speed, lunging his shoulder into Carlisle's stomach, though despite the force he created, Carlisle's tactics were far more advanced. He easily pushed Nicholas's head and shoulders down, until he face planted into the dirt.

As he tried to grasp Carlisle's foot to pull him down, Luciana ran up and pinned his head down with her foot, giving Carlisle the few seconds he needed to rip his head from his body.

They looked at each other before Carlisle nodded.

"Seth's hurt," Luciana told him.

"I know," he said, "I saw them as I passed by. He'll be okay. Broken ribs is all. Nothing too serious, just painful."

"Are you sure?" her voice was frantic.

"I'm sure. We'll take care of him at the house."

"Okay," she said before the two of them ran to meet with Seth and Sam's pack.


	30. A New Plan

**Chapter 30**

Kevin, one of the few remaining sacrifices of Olivia's strike on the Cullens, moved as fast and swiftly as he could through the trees to Northern Canada where she resided. He was in a state of panic. His fear for her was just as strong as his adoration of beauty. This was a message he did not want to deliver. Not only had they been unsuccessful in capturing Luciana, but Olivia's mate had fallen in the battle. He was dead, and Kevin had watched Carlisle's face off with him before Carmen and Eleazar burned the remains.

Her home came into view, and he ran faster, depsite his ungodly reluctance to deliver the message. When his hand finally reached up to knock on the door, her voice came just before he could complete the motion.

"What do you want?" she called, "Who is it?"

"Kevin," he said, "It's Kevin."

"You were in the battle with the Cullens, correct?"

"Yes," he answered,"May I come in?"

"That depends," she told him, "Do you have the news I'm looking for?"

Olivia heard him stir nervously, and immediately assumed the job had not been done. She walked over and completely opened the door to face him, "You haven't gotten your hands on Luciana, I assume."

He nodded, then shook his head, not knowing which gesture was correct, "No. We-we didn't."

"Was Nicholas able to reach a deal with them?"

Kevin looked around nervously, unsure of what to say. He had rehearsed his lines on his travels, though now it was like he'd never spoke a word of English. He couldn't bring himself to respond.

"Well?" she asked, apparently not suspecting what he had to say.

"Olivia," he said, not making eye contact, "It's Nicholas... he's uh, he didn't.. make it."

She felt her stomach drop, and had her heart still worked it would have skipped a beat, "What do you mean he didn't make it?"

Kevin finally found the courage to look up to her, "He's, he's dead."

Olivia tried to remain emotionless in front of this somewhat of a stranger. She didn't know him well, and the fact that he had just delivered her information that was more painful than a thousand cannonballs to the chest, it caused a wave of anger, fear, sadness and hatred to pass through her. "You're lying."

"I wish I was," he said in a low voice, finding himself scared to look her in the eye again, "I'm sorry."

"How? Who?"

"C-Carlisle. They were fighting over Luciana and he ripped..." Kevin hesitated, "Carlisle ripped his head off and two others burned his body."

"Get out!" Olivia demanded, "Get out. Don't come back." She pointed to the large wooden door, and Kevin eagerly left the premises.

Olivia slammed the door behind him, shattering it to pieces. She looked around the empty house for a few seconds before demolishing everything in sight - a decorative table, chairs, a television.. She made her way to all other parts of the house and saved her throne for last, crushing it to pieces with her fist.

In the midst of the self destruction, she found a picture of Nicholas and quickly held it close to her body. She felt weak, yet strong, and raw with emotion. Olivia moved her elbow backwards with a force that took down half of one of the walls. Rocks crumbled down on top of her, though she didn't move. She couldn't feel, yet she felt everything. The world was backwards, upside down. It was different; wrong. It would never be the same. Nicholas was gone. He was no more. His body was now nothing but a million ashes polluting the skies.

In her vulnerable state, she found herself wanting nothing but to destroy everyone in the Cullen coven. Had she been less polished in the act of self control, she would have already started a vengeful journey to the northwest corner of the states. Instead, she found it within herself to devise a plan. The question remained, would she aim to destroy Aro first, or Carlisle? She wasn't sure which would suit her better. If she chose to visit Washington, the army would need some heavy retraining that could take months.

Olivia thought hard, suddenly coming to realize that she did not have Luciana in her possession. This was a necessary step in her plan against the Volturi.

"It appears as though the Cullens win by default," she said aloud to herself, still sitting in the wreckage of the place she and Nicholas once called home. Olivia looked at the mess t surrounded her and rose from her defeated position to send a message to her troops. There was a new plan to be put in progress. It would take a few months, but she would perfect it. Soon, all of her rage and wrath would come down on the Cullen family.


	31. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 31**

Carlisle had been checking in on Seth's condition daily. His ribs were still tender though he was able to get around the house just fine. Esme looked after him while Carlisle was at work and spent lots of her down time cooking all of Seth's favorite meals. Sue regularly frequented the house and allowed Seth to stay because he wanted to be close to Lucy.

In his initial state of intense pain, Sue didn't leave her son's bedside, which for the time being was located in the upstairs family room. She thanked Carlisle over and over again for taking care of him, as well as Esme for her hospitality.

It had been nearly a week since the fight, and Seth was beginning to get back in good spirits.

Emmett and Rosalie were expected home at any time. They were told the details of their family's victory over the roamers and were eager to get home, though took an extra couple of days to truly enjoy the paradise of the island. Their stay with Garrett and Kate had been tense, so the four of them chose to spend a few more days in the sun with their newly born children.

The Cullens were feelings more at ease following the successful defense of their home, though had been on alert for any possible intruders, just as a precaution. Jasper continued to try to harness his suspicisions, but with the passing days and lack of concerns from the rest of them, he was having an easier time blocking them out.

"Yay!" Alice said aloud to no one in particular.

"What?" Bella asked with a laugh at her mysterious enthusiasm.

"Willy's almost back.'

Jasper smiled, "I thought you weren't supposed to call him that."

She waved a hand, "I can call him whatever I want."

It wasn't long before their family was all back together, with Rosalie, Emmett and William completing the puzzle.

Their son was visibly bigger, though he was still in the early stages of his baby phase to everyone's delight.

Hugs and kisses were exchanged all around, particularly toward their newest addition to the family. He squealed with happiness as Alice peppered his cheeks and little neck with kisses.

"So it's all taken care of huh?" Emmett asked, finishing a brief hug with Jasper.

"Yep," he told his brother, "Haven't seen anyone around since it happened. We took out their leader, so I doubt the leftovers will return."

"Did Kate and Garrett go home?" Esme asked.

Emmett nodded, "Yeah. Long trip, ya know. They wanted to extend a thank you to everyone, but we told them just to head back to Denali."

"I'm glad you're all okay."

"Likewise."

Rosalie seemed in a constant state of relief, finally feeling able to enjoy the experience of motherhood without a dark cloud hanging over her head. She tossed her travel bag down and found a comfortable place to scroll through pictures of their trip on the camera Esme had packed.

"Come here," she motioned for them to see the photos. From the looks of it, anyone would have assumed they were on a happy family vacation. Everyone's expressions were perfectly posed, though true happiness lingered in their smiles. Almost every picture had either William, Madison or both of them being held by someone.

"Oh, I love this one," Esme said, pointing to a picture of William with a fearful look on his face as his toes skimmed the ocean. Rosalie was holding him and the picture appeared as though it was snapped in mid laugh.

"Me too," Emmett said grinning, "That was the first time he touched the water."

Alice held William in front of her, "Are you scared of a little water?" She smiled wide at her nephew before bringing him closer to her body again.

"Oh, look at little Maddy," Bella said. Her little pink beach hat was the highlight of the picture as Garrett held her above his head.

"Looks like Simba," Edward said with a laugh.

Rosalie and Emmett snickered.

"She really does look like Simba," Jasper agreed smiling.

"Who's Simba?" Luciana and Masen asked at the same time.

Leah and Seth looked at each other and laughed.

"From the movie The Lion King," Rosalie told them, "Before your time."

"Everything's before their time," Emmett laughed.

They all looked through the photos with Rosalie, leaving everyone with a happy feeling.

"Can I put those on a disk so I can make prints at the store?" Alice asked, "For a photo album?"

"Sure," Rosalie told her. She handed Alice the camera and she skipped off happily toward the computer pulling Jasper with her as she did.

Emmett patted Seth hard on the back and was about to ask him a question when he saw the painful expression on his face.

"Oh, Em," Esme told him with a hand partially covering her mouth, "Seth's ribs are still recovering."

"Oh man, I'm sorry," he said, "I was just about to say good looking out protecting Lucy."

Seth forced a smile, though his eyes showed there was a lot of pain that lingered, "Yeah, thanks."

Emmett made a face as he headed out of the room, "Whoops."

Rosalie laughed and motioned for him to join her and William on the couch.

"Esme?" Luciana asked.

"Yeah?"

"Um, would it be alright to use Carlisle's office upstairs? I want to write a new letter to my father and I figured it would be the best place to kind of.. concentrate."

"Oh yeah, of course. Come on."

Esme lead Luciana upstairs and opened the door, "Here you go. Do you need paper or anything?"

She nodded, "Sorry."

Esme laughed, "It's no problem." She found Luciana a few pieces of lined paper and a pen.

"Thanks," Luciana said. She pointed toward the corner of the room, "Is that a shredder?"

Esme nodded.

Luciana removed the previous letter she had written to her father and ran it through the shredder then looked back at Esme, "I was a little hard on him in the last one," she admitted, "I want to write him a new one, a.. happier one."

"Well I'm glad to hear that," Esme said, "Take as long as you need." She smiled and closed the door, leaving Luciana to her thoughts.

Down in the kitchen, Seth had begun preparing spaghetti in a pot on the stove. Esme walked in, "I can cook that for you Seth," she told him, "Go rest."

He shook his head, "I feel bad enough eating all of your food. The least I can do is cook it myself. You've been waiting on me hand and foot."

"It's nothing," she told him, "I've got it... unless you really wanted to."

Seth shrugged, and Esme smiled, knowing he would rather be watching TV. "Go rest," she told him again, holding her hand out for him to give her the ladel he'd been using to stir the sauce.

"Thanks," he told her and walked upstairs to where he heard Leah and Masen talking.

Esme stirred the pasta, hearing Carlisle enter through the front door. She could tell he was heading up the stairs so she called out to him, "Lucy's in the office, so let her have her privacy in there."

"Okay," he called back before continuing up the stairs.

Rosalie entered the kitchen with William, "Say hi to Grandma," she teased.

Esme laughed and touched his nose with her finger, "Were you able to at least enjoy the last few days out there?" she asked.

"We did. It was so beautiful, but we were just so worried the first half of the trip. Emmett was practically jumping out of his skin to get back up here to help."

"It was best to keep this little man safe," Esme said, unable to keep her hands off of William.

"Here, let's switch," Rosalie offered. She handed William to Esme and took over by the stove. "For Seth?"

Esme nodded, "I want him to rest as much as he can. He can't even phase back into a wolf right now. It's too painful for him."

"Poor kid," she said, sprinkling some garlic into the sauce.

"Yeah," Esme agreed, shaking her head, "I'm glad he's alright."

"So, the next eclipse is in July," Rosalie told her.

She smiled, "Oh yeah?"

"Yep," she smiled back, "So...?"

"So.."

"Are you going to try to have another baby?" Rosalie asked.

Esme shrugged with a smile, "I don't know. It's come up, but I'm not sure. We don't want these things to keep happening with other vampires who aren't on the same page."

"Oh, screw all of them," Rosalie told her, "It's not going to stop me. I figured we'd wait a year, maybe two and then go for it again."

Esme nodded, "Yeah." She was back and forth on the topic.

"I just think if it's what you want, you need to do it," she smiled, "I think me and you definitely have baby fever."

She laughed, "Of all of us, I suppose. It's just hard because they're not babies for long."

"Well, let us know and we'll be the ones to wish if you decide that's what you want." Rosalie smiled and shifted through the spaghetti, "It'll be here before you know it. The weather's already starting to get warm."

Esme smiled and bobbed William up and down. She enjoyed the talks with Rosalie and her optimism on the subject. "We'll see," she told her.


	32. The Letter

**Hey all.. i got a few questions from a couple people from last chapter about why Masen didn't heal Seth.. as I was writing, I was thinking in my head that healing him too fast would cause the bones to fuse, like with what happened to Jacob in Eclipse when Carlisle had to rebreak all of his bones.. so I guess I was thinking it, but didn't write it out, that they didn't have Masen heal Seth because they didn't want the healing process to effect the way his bones recovered.. whoops! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 32**

Aro sat alone in a segrigated portion of one of the many dark corridors of underground Italy. Candles decorated the walls and stone table where he began to wish he had a Volturi member with Alice Cullen's talents. The roaming clan had moved on, though he now wish they'd been ignorant enough to stay in the area to challenge their coven. The odds always stood in their favor, he knew this, even against the evergrowing Cullen family. In his heart he knew they had no desire to rise against the Volturi, but were the only family with comparable power that existed in their world.

The roamers consisted of many weak vampires who felt strong when they stood proudly as a unit. From what Aro could tell, no one had any special talents that would benefit them in battle. While numbers and a 'nothing to lose' mentality could prove to be lethal, should it come down to combat, they would surely fall against a talented, powerful group. The act now, think later technique was one for fools.

Aro folded his hands in prayer, and dedicated his moment of silence to pray for the safety of his daughter. As much as he wanted to go to the small Washington town, he knew he had responsibilities to take care of here. Caius would surely be against going to help out the Cullens, even if it meant the safety of Luciana. Aro strongly resented how little Caius cared for her, though he knew she admired him like a second father. Jane was glad to see her go. The threat of being replaced as the queen bee, as she constantly referred to it in her thoughts, was nonexistant with Luciana's absence. The rest of them remained on neutral grounds, though he sensed Marcus enjoyed her company, as well as the good it brought out from their genuine bond.

He knew the rosary prayers by heart, and though many years had passed since he practiced a faith, he found comfort in kneeling to honor the mystery of what could be out there to protect the only link in his bloodline. Luciana was his everything. Aro found himself constantly thinking that his throne would be an acceptable trade for the sake of her life, should a situation arise where that would be the only price.

The envelope that came for him had yet to be opened. He stared down at the letter with his name on it and the address he had given to Luciana should she need to get in touch with him in this fashion. He wondered why she wrote and didn't call. It also plagued him since meeting with Carlisle and Edward in Toronto that she hadn't wished to see him. Was this a goodbye letter? Did she not want a thing to do with him anymore?

Aro ran a hand over the back of the envelope slowly before finding the courage to open it. He braced himself, looking down at the lined paper neatly folded twice, before unfolding it so the words became apparent. Before he read them, he glanced down at a small photograph that Luciana had included to let him know of how she currently looked. Aro held the picture up to his heart before moving on to the letter. He whispered the sentences aloud to himself, as he sat alone in the dim lighting.

Dear Father,

Please don't resent me for the choices I've made to stay in Washington. You are a constant vision in my mind, and I apologize for my lack of contact. The last time I visited, I had an incident that left me sick to my stomach. I killed several people at JFK airport in New York. I know this could have been costly to all of us. You, me, Caius, Marcus, the Cullens... It wasn't right of me to try rushing to your side. The timing obviously wasn't right, so I promised myself I would not rush into things in the future. You mean too much to me. The last meeting you had with Carlisle and Edward, I wanted to go more than anything. I hope you know this. My biggest fear was seeing your face and not wanting to leave your side. On the other hand, I can't bare the thought of leaving Seth. He's my soul mate, and I hope you can understand that. I love you both equally in different ways. An ideal world would have the three of us living in the same area so I could see you both whenever I wanted. I would never ask this of you, because without you, our world would undoubedly go to Hell. I know you've been forced to do some unconventional things, and there have been some questionable fights you've chosen to persuit, but you maintain the law, and have kept things on an even keel. I wanted you to know that Carlisle saved my life against a dictator named Nicholas. He swarmed the area with low level vampires, as I'm sure you already know, before Carlisle killed him as he went to attack me. If there's one thing I can ask, please maintain peace with their family. They really have never attempted to start a fight and just simply want to be left alone. The same goes for Seth and the rest of the Quileute tribe. I know in my heart (if I had one) that they would never bring harm to you. I love you so much, and just know that I miss you every single day. I will come visit you soon. I'm ready this time. Be safe, and tell the others I love and miss them.

Love,

Luciana

Aro let the letter fall to the table beneath him, and a single tear trickled down his face and landed on the piece of lined paper. He looked down, a little astonished and dried the streak that was left on his pale face.

"Aro," a raspy voice came from behind him.

He spun around, slightly startled and faced Marcus.

"Sorry," he said, "Luciana?"

Aro stepped aside so he could see the note on the table.

"She's misses you, as much as you miss her."

"We'll arrange a visit soon, "Aro told him.

"Did they get out of the battle unscathed? I know she contacted you."

He nodded, "Apparently she was saved after an assailant named Nicholas tried to take her life."

"Will we need to seek revenge on Nicholas?"

Aro fiddled with the paper, "Apparently, that deed has already been done."

"I see," Marcus said, almost glumly.

"We have to be more accomodating to her next time she visits."

He nodded.

"I don't want her hunting humans. It's her lifestyle now to live off of animals. I wouldn't want someone gunning for her if she were to have another public outburst."

"We'll accomodate," Marcus agreed.

Aro tucked the letter into the inner pocket of his cloak as Marcus solumnly walked back to where the rest of them greeted a room full of tourists.


	33. Baby Steps

**Chapter 33**

William was turning into quite the "mama's boy." He had finally pushed out the full word after trying for weeks to complete it. There was no ones arms he preferred to be in over Rosalie's. Although Emmett was a close second, there had been a number of times that he reached for his mother after being in his father's arms for too long.

"We're setting up a play date with Maddy," Rosalie told William, pulling his face close to hers.

"She's your future girlfriend," Emmett told him with a laugh.

Jasper sat on the ground and held his arms out, encouraging William to walk to him. So far, he was only able to complete a few steps before he stumbled and lost his balance, but they were sure he would catch on quickly, as Masen had.

"He's definitely determined," Rosalie said. She glanced at Emmett, "He gets that from you."

"I can't wait to get him into sports," he told her, "Those will be the best times."

"These are the best times," she said with a smile, watching William play with Jasper.

"You two going to have one or what?" Emmett asked Alice.

"One day," she said with a smile.

"We keep changing our minds," Jasper told them, "But, yeah, one day."

They kept at it for awhile, before Jasper finally scooped him up and flipped him around, making airplane noises as he did.

William laughed with the same contagious laughter that Masen had at that age, and it made everyone laugh in unison.

Edward shot Renesme a look from the corner of the room and shook his head. She rolled her eyes at him, "I hate that you can read my mind. I obviously didn't mean right now. Like five years from now."

"Ten," he said, flipping through a magazine.

"Seven and a half, I'll compromise," she said halfheartedly.

"Ten," he repeated.

Renesme shook her head and ignored him.

"Oooo Jakey," Emmett teased.

"Shut up," Edward said, not looking up from what he was reading.

"You shut up," Emmett said back with a grin.

"Everyone shut up," Alice told them both.

William stood up. His little body shook as he did, "Du-uh. Du-uh."

"What?" Jasper asked with a smile.

"I think he's saying shut up," Emmett laughed.

"Du-uh," William pointed with a smile.

"Come here you," Rosalie said, shaking her head. She picked him up and gave him a raspberry on his stomach, sending him into a fit of laughter.

"Stop teaching him bad words Edward," Emmett joked.

Edward waved a hand at him and dismissed the comment.

Rosalie walked to the calendar and crossed off another day before flipping the calendar to the next month.

"Still crossing off days?" Emmett asked, "You want to do this again right away?"

Alice and Jasper looked at each other with a chuckle at his lack of enthusiasm.

Rosalie gave him a death stare, propping William up in her arm. "No. It's not for me."

"Thank God," he said.

Edward smiled to himself, wondering what Rosalie's response would be. He looked up in time to see her continuing the intense glare in Emmett's direction.

"You know what I mean Rosie," he said with a smile that was hard to argue with.

"It's for Esme," she told him.

Masen entered the room upon hearing half of the conversation, "What is?"

"Counting down to the next eclipse Mase," Emmett told him, "Maybe you'll have a new little brother or sis." He raised his eyebrows a few times quickly.

"Really?" he asked.

Alice raced over and put an arm around him, "Now you'll get the jealous older sibling syndrome."

Masen rolled his eyes.

"Just like Emmett did when I came into the family," Jasper joked, still sitting on the floor.

"Oh please," Emmett said.

"I'm the favorite in the house anyway," Edward told them.

Emmett let out a high pitched laugh.

"You know you sound just like Aro when you do that," Edward said, grinning at him.

He was about to say something derogatory about the Volturi leader but decided against it in case Luciana was listening.

"They really want to have another baby?" Masen asked Rosalie.

She shrugged, "I've been trying to talk her into it."

"Don't be sad Mase," Alice told him, still in her orginal position. She adjusted and leaned an elbow on him.

He snickered, "I'm not sad. I'm too old for that baby business."

"Du-uh," William said, interrupting them.

"Yeah, shut up Masen," Emmett said.

"Du-uh," he repeated with a laugh.

Rosalie used her free hand to smack Emmett hard in the shoulder. William immediately copied her.

Alice put a hand on her head, "Do I have to teach you both how to act in front of him?"

William swung his arm at Emmett again, and he quickly stole him from Rosalie's arms.

"Em!" she said, "Be careful."

"He's not going to break," he told her, tossing him into the air.

William's laughter trickled down the halls of the house as he floated into the air and back into Emmett's hands.

"So when's the next one come around?" Masen asked, trying to get as much information as he could.

Rosalie flipped through two pages until she found where she had placed a giant star in black marker, "July second."

"Fireworks are coming a few days early this year," Emmett said with a laugh.

"Gross," Masen told him. He shook his head and looked to Rosalie, "So.. that makes it how long..?"

"Couple months," she said with a nod.

"Hmm.. okay." Masen left the room without another word about it. Rosalie couldn't tell if he was happy or sad, or just neutral about the situation.

Luciana fluttered down the stairs and motioned for Alice and Jasper to come with her. The two of them followed her to one of the spare rooms down the hall to talk.

"I know," Alice said with a nod before she could say anything.

"About my dad?"

She nodded again.

"Do you think it's the right time?" Jasper asked.

"Yes," she said with certainty, "I wasn't ready the last time, but I'm ready now."

They looked at each other and Alice smiled, "She will be okay. No urges at all."

"Either way?" Jasper asked.

"Either way." Alice told him, "Aro won't let her have anything... human."

"Really?" Luciana asked.

"And don't be surprised if he cries when he sees you," she smiled.

"Can you tell how he reacted to my letter?"

Alice nodded, "He was really moved. He told Marcus that they would make your stay more accomodating and that they would not even suggest you to hunt humans."

Jasper could tell she was about to cry so he did his best to ease her mood. Alice smiled at him, recognizing what he was doing.

"I can fly out from here, catch a connector where ever and continue the trip," she told them, "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked.

"I've even been over at Charlie's more. I've been hanging around him. There's no desire to attack. Not even a little. I think he's still a little nervous being around me, but I'm not about being around him."

Jasper and Alice could see in her eyes that this time was different. She had matured a lot and her self control was undoubtedly better.

"Let's book it," he told her.

Luciana smiled and hugged them, "Thank you guys so much for everything you've done for me."


	34. Thunder

**Chapter 34**

Upon Luciana's departure from Washington, Seth took it on himself to go have a few words with Sam. He was in too much pain at the time to talk to him in depth about the incident again the renegades in which Sam saved his life. Since then, he'd called several members of their pack, though no one had gotten back to him.

"Just go down there," Sue told him as she mixed up batter for brownies, "I think he would like to hear from you face to face. It might be better."

Seth dunked his finger into the mixture and tested out the batter, "I don't think he wants me to."

His mother gave him a look for swiping the brownie mix, "I think it would be worthwhile. The worst he can do is not talk to you."

"The worst he can do is tear me to pieces," Seth laughed.

"I don't think so," Sue said. She began pouring the chocolate into a pan, "These will be about ready when you get back. So go now."

Seth gave in trying to refuse and knew it would be his best bet. He kissed his mother on the cheek and left the house, turning into a wolf almost immediately so he could begin trying to communicate with the others telepathically.

His paws danced over the bumpy Quileute landscape and he let out a howl as he passed by Leah's, noticing her head peek from between the curtains in the kitchen as he did so. His breath grew steamy in the early spring atmosphere as the temperatures were still only in the thirties.

As Seth closed in on the boundary line that still stood, he howled and in his mind called for Sam. When several minutes had passed with no luck, he was beginning to think the idea was a flop. He paced back and forth restlessly until finally a voice rang through his ears.

"What Seth?" Sam spoke to him. He made his way through the trees until they were face to face.

Seth phased back to show he meant no harm, though he knew Sam knew this already. "I, uh, I wanted to thank you guys for saving Lucy. And for saving me."

Sam crossed his arms over his chest, "I'd do it again, Seth, but this doesn't mean things are going to return to the way they were."

"Fair enough," he said, "I just still thought it would be right to come personally thank you. We both might be dead right now if you hadn't done that."

"You'd certainly be dead," Sam assured him, "I still have a responsibility to protect you, regardless of how much I disapprove of the situation."

"Luciana," Seth started, "She hasn't done anything bad. Not since that one time. I know it must be hard for you to understand, but what if it was Emily who messed up? I wouldn't do that to-"

"It's not Emily, though Seth," Sam cut him off, "We're playing with fire here, and breaking lots of traditions that worked for us for years."

"Things don't have to always stay the same."

"Well, for me they do," he told him, "I'm glad you're okay. I'd help you again if the situation were similar, but for any other time, we remain separate." He turned his back and phased on the run into the woods.

Seth glanced angrily in Sam's direction before doing the same. He howled to show his disapproval of the decision, then headed back to Charlie's house.

When he arrived, his mother and Esme were chatting in the kitchen.

"The brownies have about eight minutes left," Sue told him, hearing the door open.

"Great," he said sarcastically and paraded up the stairs.

Esme raised her eyebrows, "Everything okay?"

"I pushed him to go have a talk with Sam Uhley," she shrugged, "I guess it didn't go well."

"I wish they'd come around. I'm sorry to see the tribe divided."

Sue ran a quick paper towel over the countertops, "I wish they would too."

"How's he doing since Lucy left?"

"Well, the other night I thought I heard him crying," Sue whispered, "So I tried to listen in and realized that Jacob was in there with him. He was upset because he said he was thinking of the time just before he imprinted when he almost killed her. I felt so bad, he sounded like he felt so guilty."

"Poor thing," Esme said.

She nodded, "Yeah."

"Well if he needs someone to talk to about that, Edward's the one."

"I'll suggest it to him."

There was a loud clap of thunder and Sue jumped. The two of them laughed and Esme received a text message almost immediately. She smiled as she read it.

"What?" Sue asked.

"When will Charlie be home?"

She looked at the clock, "About a half hour."

"Great," Esme said, "If the two of you aren't busy, why don't you stop by our house. Emmett just texted me about a baseball game. Bella wants you two to come along."

"A baseball game?" Sue asked confused.

She nodded, "You'll understand once we get down there.. if you decide you'd like to come."

Sue smiled, "I'm intrigued."

Esme smiled back, "I think Charlie will get a kick out of it."

The two of them parted ways, and Sue went on to put on some more comfortable clothes. She peeked in Seth's room, "Want to come down with us to the Cullens for a baseball game?"

He shrugged and flipped through a car magazine.

"Come on Seth," she said, "I think it'll be fun."

He looked out the window, "It's raining."

Sue glanced over at a basket full of winter things in the corner of his room and found a winter hat. She tossed it to him, "Come on."

He glanced down at the hat, surprised by her enthusiasm.

"You can't just shut everyone out when Lucy's not here," she told him, "Now come on."


	35. Baseball

**I tried to post pictures of Masen, Luciana, etc... I haven't been able to figure it out yet, so made a 1 min video with pictures of what I kind of visualize them as.. if anyone wants to check it out go to the you tube website then type in /watch?v=iCMN_AtPuM0 after the link .. it won't let me post the whole URL on here..**

**Chapter 35**

Charlie wasn't sure what to think of Bella's request to have him attend a baseball game, especially in the light rain that trickled from the early evening sky. He and Sue sat in the back of one of their many cars until it barreled through the path in the woods to a big open field.

"What's this, like Field of Dreams?" Charlie asked, jokingly dry.

Edward snickered, "Something like that."

A majority of their family was already down on the field they set up.

"Where are the gloves?" Charlie asked Bella, noticing no one had one on.

She shrugged and hopped out of the car, "Don't really need them."

Jacob and Seth were down tossing a ball back and forth at a normal distance. Emmett kept handing a ball to William, who had just gotten adjusted to his footing enough to walk. He tried to throw the ball with little success, though the two of them seemed to be having fun regardless.

Edward handed Bella a ball as they got down there. Across the way, about four hundred feet from where they stood, Jasper called to her. "Throw it here Bella."

Charlie looked at his daughter skeptically, "Yeah, okay," he said.

Bella snickered and took a step before launching the ball effortlessly a few feet over Jasper's head. He leaped up and snagged the ball so it wouldn't get passed him.

Charlie looked at her with amazement, raising his eyebrows and keeping them there. "Well.. that was.. good."

Edward laughed. Charlie looked over at Sue, who had a huge smile on her face.

"Maybe you could try out for the Yankees," Charlie told Bella, "Get your old man some money to retire on."

Bella laughed and leaned a head on his shoulder.

"Can everyone do that?"

Edward continued to smile, "Come on," he said.

They walked down and separated people into even teams and began to play. It was Masen's first time playing a game. He'd thrown with Emmett and Carlisle but never played the way they'd all talked about.

Emmett stood in the outfield as Alice pitched for his team. Masen stood up to bat first, and was taunted by his brothers.

"I bet you can't hit what Alice is bringing," Emmett called in.

Masen smiled and shook his head. Carlisle squatted behind him and glanced over at Esme who was standing with Sue and Rosalie to the side. He smiled and shrugged, waiting to see what their son was going to do.

Esme grinned and waited as Alice delivered the first pitch. Masen took a huge cut at the ball that would have surely traveled for a mile had he hit it. Instead, it landed it Carlisle's hand behind the plate and he let out a chuckle.

Emmett lost it and started laughing uncontrollably. Alice looked back toward Jasper in the outfield and both of them let out a laugh.

"Keep your eye on it," Edward told him, waiting on deck with another bat in his hands. He looked at Bella with a smile who was trying not to laugh along with them. Even Esme couldn't control a little laughter and grabbed Sue's arm lightly with a big smile.

Masen looked a little mad, but forced a smile and got back up to hit.

Alice cocked her arm back and let the ball sail again. This time Masen connected and the ball went sailing over Emmett's head, who suddenly snapped back to reality and went sprinting after the ball.

Charlie looked amazed, seeing the ball leave the vicinity of the field, "Wow," he said to himself.

Bella looked over at him, "I told ya it'd be cool."

"Homerun huh?"

Masen rounded third and the ball came flying back to home plate. Carlisle caught it and ran at his son, who tried to stop himself before he got too close.

Charlie tried to follow the unbelievable quickness of their run down, as Masen struggled to get either back to third, or home, in between Carlisle and Alice. Jasper joined in on their pickle until Alice finally tagged him out.

Masen smiled genuinely and slapped the ground. Carlisle helped him up and patted his back before they resumed their game.

"Wooo!" Bella cheered as Edward walked up to the plate. He smiled back at her and knocked Alice's pitch into the woods right in between Emmett and Jasper.

"That's loud," Charlie said in astonishment, "I can't believe this."

"You want to hit?" Bella asked him, leaning her bat in his direction.

He smiled, "I don't think so," then added, "You're up."

Edward stood on third base and clapped his hands as Bella prepared to hit.

"Everyone move in," Emmett teased.

"Shut him up Bella," Rosalie told her, struggling to keep WIlliam in her arms as he was wimpering to play.

She laughed and looked back at her father with a smile before Alice hauled it in. Bella smack the ball in Jasper's direction, who looked to be heading right for Jacob, who quietly played on the opposite side of him.

"I got it!" Jacob called, before phasing into a wolf and catching the ball feriously in his mouth.

Edward darted home from third after Jacob flipped the ball to Jasper and he threw it in. The play was close so Edward left his feet and dove acrobatically over Carlisle, landing safely on his back on home plate.

"Yeah!" Seth said, giving him a high five as he stood up.

"Two outs!" Alice called.

"One to nothing," Edward said back with a smile.

Seth, Leah and Renesme all took turns hitting before they switched after Jacob tracked down his girlfriend's ball and caught it in his mouth.

"I don't know if I'll be able to get used to that," Charlie said, referring to Jacob's phasing.

"You will," Bella assured him as she ran out onto the field.

"Here," Alice said. She tossed Bella the ball, "You pitch."

"Pitch?" she asked, caught off guard.

"Yeah, come on," Edward pushed, "You'll be fine. We'll catch everything out here." He nudged Masen and the two of them ran into the outfield.

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and waited, watching as Bella hurled the ball faster than any major leaguer he'd ever watched. Jasper connected on her fast ball and began his path around the bases.

Sue and Charlie made eye contact and she could see how astonished and amazed he truly was. She could tell he was having a good time.

Their game went on for a little over an hour before they all decided to head back. Bella immediately wrapped a big coat around Charlie's shoulders that had been waiting in the truck, as Edward handed one to Sue.

"I'm fine Bells," he told her, "I go on fishing trips in the rain all the time."

"I know," she said, "But it's cold out here." She noticed the smokey breath leaving her father's nose and mouth.

Seth and Jacob both smiled and wrapped their arms around Sue to warm her up immediately, then made their way toward Charlie.

"I'm alright," he told them, putting his hands up.

Bella laughed and hugged him, "So, what'd you think?"

Charlie smiled, "I think you should all go make your own MLB team. The Washington..."

"Blood suckers," Jacob joked.

"Hey there'd be some wolves on the team too," Seth told him with a smile.

Sue grinned, tucking herself under Charlie's arm. She was glad to see her son smiling after a couple days of moping around.

"Glad you came," Carlisle told them, "Hope you had fun."

Charlie nodded, "Well, that totally changed my perspective on the Mariners."

He laughed and put an arm around Esme. Sue mouthed the words 'thank you' and motioned to Seth, who was busy talking with Leah and Masen.

Esme nodded with a smile, "We'll let you know when the next game is."


	36. The Diaries of Carlisle Cullen

**Chapter 36**

Everyone took turns taking quick showers to get the mud and dirt off from their baseball game. The rain had picked up drastically as they parted from the field and continue to pour throughout the evening.

Esme made her way from her room after slipping on some comfortable clothes and called down to Carlisle, "It's all yours." He made his way upstairs and passed her as she made her way into his office. "I hope you didn't sit down on the couch in those clothes," she said with a smile.

"I know better," he winked at her and made his way to their bathroom.

Esme made her way to one of the several bookshelves, looking for something to read. There were a few her hand passed over that she had already read and enjoyed, though she felt like reading something new. It had been awhile since she'd gotten into a good book.

Her eyes traveled across the titles and authors printed on the sides until she got to several in a row with nothing written on them. Intrigued, she pulled the first one out and began thumbing through it. Almost immediately she recognized that what she held was not a book. The ink on the pages was neatly written in Carlisle's handwriting and dated accordingly. Esme quickly realized that he had recorded a number of events from his life, beginning back before he'd even met her. She'd never realized he had kept any type of records, at least not to this magnitude. The number of untitled pieces of literature took up a significant portion of the book case.

Esme felt a little guilty going through what she assumed was Carlisle's private thoughts, though she couldn't help herself. Her flipped through the pages of the first book, which detailed some of his stay with the Volturi. She came to a part that talked about a masquerade massacre that appeared to have left him feeling sick to his stomach. He hadn't taken part, though was present for what was just an ordinary night for Aro, Caius and the rest of them. From the pain in his words, Esme suddenly felt bad for having him attend the masquerade party that they'd put on the night that Leah imprinted on Masen. She put the book back on the shelf and skipped a few books until she found the time frames where she had come into his life.

There was nothing early on around 1911 when she'd met him, somewhat to her disappointment. She remembered the day that she first laid eyes on him like it was yesterday. It was still one of her favorite moments. Esme got lost in a daydream of him entering the hospital room, flashing a smile and running his cold, smooth hands over the part of her leg that had been broken. There wasn't a bone in her body that ever imagined that they would ever end up together in a perfect, frozen eternity.

Esme found herself smiling and continued to flip through the pages, eager to see what he'd wrote when they finally reconnected. The book she held only went up to the year 1920, so she placed it back on the shelf and found the next one, feeling a sense of butterflies in her stomach. She listened for a moment to make sure Carlisle's shower was still running in the other room before she whipped open the next book.

She stopped to read a passage about Edward and his transformation, as well as a few memories of their first days together. Esme smiled again, painting the pictures in her head that were told by her husband's words. As she continued to flip through the pages, she became more and more disappointed. She'd passed the year that the two of them had met again, and the time that he had turned her into a vampire. There was nothing about any of it.

Esme began to turn each page more rapidly, dying to come across something that had her name in it. When she finally caught something that read "Esme," it was just a somewhat insignificant statement that referred to something she'd done indirectly. Carlisle hadn't written anything about his happiness of having her, about the way they met, how he felt or anything in between. For a moment, she felt heartbroken. He had, in detail, described the joys of everyone else. She wondered for a moment if there was a portion of the memoir she'd accidentally skipped.

There has to be something, she thought to herself.

The shower turned off in the other room, and Esme tried to skate through the rest of the books that somewhat made up an accidental autobiography of Carlisle Cullen. His writings style switched from calligraphy to pen strokes of the modern day writing tools. Still, Esme found little about the experiences she'd gone through with him in all of their years together.

"Do you need to hunt?" Carlisle called to her from their bedroom.

Esme quickly put the book back that she'd been skimming through and eyed the several more she had yet to look through. "No," she said back, "I hunted before I went to Sue's earlier." She heard his footsteps coming down the hall and quickly sat behind the computer to make it look like she had been browsing online.

"I'm going to go out quick," he told her, "I'll probably just hunt something close by."

"Okay," she said to him, forcing a smile.

Carlisle smiled back and walked over to give her a kiss, "I love you. Be back soon."

"Be careful," she told him.

"Love you," he repeated, waiting for her to say it back.

"I love you," she said sincerely.

He left the office and was soon on his way into the woods. Esme immediately headed for the book case again to finish reading what she had started. The books were dated all the way up to present time, and detailed his feelings on when Masen was born. His radiating happiness that spilled off the pages would have normally made her feel on top of the world. Now, she couldn't shake the question as to why there was generally nothing about her in all of these books he'd written.

Esme placed the last one back and quickly found the ones that were dated in the 1920's to make sure she hadn't missed anything. She knew it was pointless, but she hoped that possibly there were some pages that were stuck together, or that she overlooked. When, again, she came up empty handed, she solemnly placed the book back in it's original place on the shelf.

She knew her fake happiness would not fool Carlisle for the remainder of the night. He didn't seem skeptical about her forced smile as he was about to go hunting, though Esme would not be able to sit and have a long conversation with him without her true feelings coming to the surface. It was something she was sure he would pick up on right away and rightfully question her about it.

Laughter poured from one of the rooms downstairs, as a few of them were playing pool and others were playing video games. William's broken baby English filled Esme's ears above all else and she was finally able to grin genuinely for a second.

"Movie time!" Emmett called, as Esme sensed Carlisle had come back to the house.

"What crappy movie is it going to be tonight?" Jacob's voice rang through the house.

"We're going with a scary one, since it's pouring outside and all," Emmett said, "And good call there pops on hunting in the rain right after you showered."

"I guess that was a little stupid, huh," Carlisle said with a laugh.

"Well, go change," Emmett told him, "We're watching Friday the 13th as a family."

"Oh that's great," Rosalie said sarcastically, "Me and William will be down the hall."

"I'll join you," Alice told her happily.

"Put it on," Jacob urged, "I actually love these old horror movies."

Carlisle's heavy footsteps paraded up the stairs and Esme left his office to meet him in the hallway.

"Still on the computer?" he asked with a smile, "Alice get you into that online shopping?"

"Yeah," she lied, "Was just looking at some things for summer."

"Do you feel like watching that movie Emmett's putting on? I don't really care for it, but he's pretty eager to watch it."

"Sure," she said with a little nod, "I'll meet you downstairs."

Carlisle walked in their room and changed his clothes again before making his way to where some of them were sitting through the opening credits.

Jacob appeared from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn for him and Renesme.

"How is this even scary?" Edward asked with a smile, "I think any of us could handle Jason. That's his name right?"

"Stop taking the fun out of it," Emmett told him. He took a handful of popcorn from Jacob's bowl and tossed it at him.

Carlisle slid beside Esme, waiting for her to say something about the little mess that now lingered on the floor. When she didn't, he sensed she was somewhat spacing out, though her gaze remained on the television. He nudged her and she seemed to be caught off guard and jumped a little.

"You okay?" he asked.

Esme nodded with a closed mouth smile and brought her attention back to the screen, where a bunch of campers were singing songs around a fire to start the movie. She felt his eyes linger on her for an extra second before he put his feet up and focused on the movie.

"I bet you were scared of this when you were still human," Edward whispered to Bella with a little laugh.

She smirked at him and leaned into his chest, "No."

"Yeah, okay," Jacob said, overhearing them.

"I wasn't," she said smiling.

Renesme let out a quiet laugh and interlocked her hand with Jacob's on the couch.

"How long before the first one gets it?" Jasper asked, looking at Emmett.

"I can't ruin it by telling you," Emmett said back.

Esme continued to keep her eyes on the television as the first teenager fell victim to the mysterious killer. Jasper and Emmett made an "Ohhh!" noise and everyone laughed together.

Carlisle kept his focus on his wife and saw Edward staring at them out of the corner of his eye. When he shifted to look at him, he turned his attention back to the movie.

"Where's Masen?" Renesme asked.

"Charlie's," Edward answered quickly. He saw Carlisle whisper in Esme's ear and the two of them stood up and left the room. Everyone watched as they left, but almost immediately got back into the movie.

Bella glanced at Edward, asking him questions with her eyes. He shrugged and shook his head, then pointed back to the television.

Carlisle walked with Esme toward the family room upstairs, "What's wrong?" he asked.

She shrugged, "It's nothing."

He knew from her response that something was going on that she didn't want to talk about. "You can tell me anything, Esme."

She looked down at the ground, "I don't know."

"What's wrong?" he asked again. His voice was filled with kind hearted concern.

"This is kind of silly," she told him, telling herself not to let her voice shake.

Carlisle could tell in her facial expression that she was holding back tears. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead. It was something that usually made her feel better. "Did I do something?" he asked.

Esme held him tightly, "No. I just-" she shook her head, "It's my fault. I read a bunch of things you wrote over the years in your office. I was looking for a book to read and came across some jounals. They had lots of important things written in them, all dated."

Carlisle felt a smile forming on his face and he pulled back from her for a second. She noticed the look on his face right away and felt suddenly confused.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you wondering why you're not in them?"

Esme wondered if she had missed something. He didn't look concerned at all. "Yeah," she said, "Yes. I- I didn't see anything about me.. or us.."

Carlisle grabbed her by the hand gently and lead her back into his office. He continued to smile and lead her to another book case that blended in with the rest of the room. She noticed immediately that none of the books on any of the packed shelves contained a title, or any kind of label.

He removed the first one, opened the front cover, and handed it to her. "Read it."

Esme glanced down at the date that ended with the year 1911. She moved her lips as she read every word of his first experience meeting her. It wasn't quite as heads over heels romantic as she had felt about him, but she did remember that he was still a few years older than her at that point. She smiled to herself and flipped to the next page. It detailed the experience of her transformation, and how he waited beside her for her to wake up. She read the first few lines out loud, "I can't imagine letting someone so beautiful and full of life having to end their time on earth this way. It's not fair, though I'm not sure what I've done to her is fair. Should she wake and hate me, I would be forever heart sick, though I will not blame her if she does. Esme is by far the most exquisite woman I have ever laid eyes on, and I feel blessed to be in her presence, if only for the few remaining hours before her awakening."

Esme looked up at Carlisle with a regretful smile, now feeling incredibly silly for the way she felt only minutes before.

"These were all written about you," Carlisle told her, motioning to the entire wall full of memories that he'd experienced with Esme, "I felt like you were entitled to a collection of your own."

"Wow," she said, "I can't believe I never read any of these."

"Well," he smirked, "They are my private thoughts. I suppose you just happened to stumble upon them..." His voice was playfully accusing.

Esme smiled as if she was a teenager in trouble, "I'm sorry," she told him, "I initially didn't realize what they were... and then I kept reading and never saw anything about me.. and..."

Carlsle placed a hand on her face and looked her in the eyes, "Esme, how could you think for one second that I'd have nothing written about you," he smiled and kissed her firmly with his eyes closed, "You're my world. There aren't enough pages, or hours in the day, to justifiably write out the way you make me feel."

She shook her head, "I feel so stupid. I've been driving myself crazy for the last couple of hours."

He laughed and Esme melted into his perfect smile. "I love you," he told her, "I love you so much. If you ever need reassurance of that, read any one of these." He held a hand out toward the book shelves.

"I don't need reassurance, Carlisle. I know. I love you." She shook her head, obviously still embaressed, though a look of relief lingered in her expression.

He pulled her lips to his again, "I know," he whispered.


	37. Left Right Left

**Chapter 37**

Olivia made sure she had her new plan in place, which she'd been tweaking now for months. She visited the 'training camp' daily made sure everyone was on the same page. They had trained for years in preparation for Aro and the Volturi, and she fully intended to carry out that plan. The targets would simply be different. The Cullens were just the family who drew the short straw upon taking Nicholas from her. Aro was not by any means off the hook for the pain he'd put her through. He was just second on her hit list.

Her boots crushed over some lingering snow that had yet to melt in the northern Canada spring. She assumed they would be finetuned and extremely polished come August. It was when she planned to attack if things continued to go according to plan.

For all combative purposes, their group was very much an army. They dressed uniformly and stood together for a purpose. These were Olivia's best soldiers. They were loyal, skilled and had a true will to fight. They all respected and looked up to her dominance, eager to do what they thought was right.

Their barracks came into view, and Olivia knew today they were prepared for a meeting she had told them about earlier in the week. She marched into an oversized building filled with her men and women. They all sat quietly, anticipating her arrival. One of her top persona prepared a slideshow of pictures that would coincide with her expectations of them.

"Hello," Olivia greeted in firm, yet welcoming, tone, "I am putting the final piece of the plan in order so you will be able to visualize our goals here." She clicked her black combat boots over the stage that rose from the ground where everyone else sat before her. A photo of the Cullens came into view on the screen.

"These are our enemies," she said briefly before clicking to the next slide. A big picture of Luciana decorated the screen, "This is who we're looking to capture. I want her alive. Not dead or alive... alive!" She heavily emphasized the last word.

"Yes ma'am," the crowd said in unison.

"This gentleman, however," Olivia started, switching to a picture of Carlisle, "I'll move anyone up the rankings who kills him. You'll have someone hunting for you for the rest of your life, if that's what you wish. You'll have a house on the hill. You'll have a new human servant to kill every night if that's what makes you happy. Carlisle Cullen killed Nicholas while he was in persuit of Luciana. I want him dead. Anyone else is a bonus." She continued to scroll through their family members, including the wolves.

A pair of eyes looked at the pictures on the screen, suddenly realizing that he recognized the family in the photos. He felt his stomach drop in a state of anxiousness, now unsure of where he duties would lie. He knew nothing of this life months ago. He had no idea what right or wrong was anymore. He killed people... he killed people every day and he could not find it in him to stop, regardless of how wrong it felt.

Olivia was his only mentor. She had taken him under her wing and Nicholas had let him know many times that he would have been dead if it wasn't for her. He knew this to be true, and did not wish to go against her. She made him feel okay about killing people. He didn't feel guilty for a short time after she explained to him what he had become. She compared him to a lion and seemed to reinforce how lions hunted the weak to surivive. They hunted what they craved. That's all he was doing now. He was hunting to survive in this new body; in this new life. His old life was over. It had passed and he was beginning to come to terms with that. There was still something, however, that was so unsettling about murdering a human, regardless of whether or not it was his only form of survival. There were days he felt like the world would be a better place if he were dead and even times where he attempted suicide, but he quickly found that this was impossible, at least by the traditional methods he'd heard about as human.

"Michael!" Olivia called to him, drawing him to the stage from the crowd.

He stood up from his chair and marched his way forward, never looking anyone as he did so. "Yes ma'am," he asked.

Olivia motioned for him to join her on stage. He did so immediately and looked at the crowd before him.

"Michael is one of our top soldiers," Olivia stated, "He will travel to Forks, Washington to keep an eye on the Cullens for us over the next month. I am volunteering him because his combat skills are among the highest ranked. He has made the most of his training exercises and has made this unit proud."

The crowd began to clap before Olivia settled them back down with a small smile on her face. She turned to face Michael, "Will you accept this honor?"

He nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Good," she soluted him once, and he returned the gesture.

"When will my journey begin, ma'am?"

"The day after tomorrow," she explained.

Michael nodded and she shooed him off the stage. He returned to his seat in the middle of the pack, being congratulated by a few others in his vicinity. He glanced up at the photo that lingered on the screen and knew he could not fullfill Olivia's requests. Michael knew well enough that these people were by no means a threat, and even if Carlisle Cullen had, indeed, killed Nicholas, he knew that it was because their group had invaded their territory. He was beginning to see through everything.

Since becoming a vampire, Michael's life was a lie. He wasn't being himself, or sticking the morals he knew as a human. Despite his 'fo-hawk' and scattered tattoos, he was a very sensitive, caring individual. The external styles he chose as a late teen hardly reflected the good natured person underneath. Before this lifestyle became the norm, he had never even been in a fist fight. Michael was the true definition of a gentleman.

Everyone in the room stood up to salute Olivia. Michael's spacy thoughts caused him to stir momentarily before joining the rest of them and completing the motion.

"It's almost summer," her voice bellowed, "And let it be known that Forks, Washington will see a red dawn when the sun shines the brightest," she motioned for someone behind the stage. A few of their guards dragged out the leftover fighters from their previous battle with the Cullens. They looked at the group before them with wide, scared eyes.

Michael waited with a heavy heart for what he knew she was about to say.

"These are just a few of our test dummies," Olivia called to them all, "They failed to capture Luciana, and let Nicholas stand alone to be killed."

The crowd boo'ed and the vampires on stage tried to plead their case but Olivia spoke over them again, "They won't put up much of a fight, but use them to practice your techniques," she looked angrily down at the pawns she'd forced into battle, then back to her men who stood at attention, "At ease boys." She gracefully marched off the stage, leaving the brainwashed group to what they thought was their duty.


	38. Little Talks

**Chapter 38**

The hours of daylight were beginning to increase, leaving it harder for the Cullens to navigate around town on sunny days. Forks still provided the necessary cloudy days they needed, though Carlisle and Emmett had been finding themselves having to stay an extra couple of hours at the hospital every now and then to ride out the sunlight that filtered through onto the building.

The date of the next lunar eclipse was closing in on them, and Rosalie kept making it known as the days passed, continuing her pattern of big red X's on the calendar. Even Sue would ask Esme about it when they spent time together, though she was never quite sure what to say.

It was early evening as Edward and Esme strolled the streets of downtown Forks together. It was rare these days that the two of them were able to have a private conversation, due to the number of expansions in their family. Decades ago they could talk for hours, particularly when Carlisle worked long days at the hospital, as he had been recently.

"I know it's what you both want," he said, "And I apologize for being so nosy, but I expect you know by now that I don't mean to be."

Esme shook her head, "I know you're not nosy," she assured him.

"And if you're worried what Masen will think, I can tell you first hand that he thinks it's a great idea."

"Really?"

Edward nodded, "Yeah. Honestly. Did you think he'd feel differently?"

Esme shrugged, "I really wasn't sure what to expect."

A small chuckle left Edward's mouth as a few women passed and he looked at Esme.

"What?" she asked.

"They just thought to themselves, what a lovely couple."

Esme laughed out loud, drawing a second laugh from Edward. "See, that's when I'd enjoy reading minds the most," she told him.

"Yeah, sometimes it's funny," he told her, "But anyway, why don't you just go for it. I talked to Carlisle the other day."

"What did he say?" The eagerness to know made Edward grin again.

"He said he's all for having another baby. He just wants to make sure it's what you want."

"He said it like that?"

Edward nodded, "Yeah. But he, uh, wanted to kind of keep it just between a few of us if it's what you decided."

"What do you mean? Not tell anyone?"

"Well, kind of," he told her, "He doesn't want Emmett to be making jokes the whole time, or Masen to feel awkward or anything like that."

"Oh, yeah, I can understand that," Esme said with a laugh.

Edward snickered, "I guess I'd know regardless, right?"

"And Alice," she told him, "We can't tell Rose?"

He shrugged, "You'll have to ask your husband that."

They continued to walk the town and Edward laughed subtly several times again as they passed people walking.

"What this time?" Esme asked him with a smile.

Edward turned and saw a man of about nineteen or twenty sizing him up, "That kid thought you were attractive. Then he started thinking that he could probably beat me up if he wanted to."

Both of them shared a laugh again. "This is the most fun I've had reading minds for awhile," Edward told Esme.

"Edward, I miss our talks. You've had such a positive impact on my life. Do you know that?"

He nodded, "There's just so many of us these days."

"You know, I was reading some of Carlisle's old journal entries the other day," she started.

"Is that when you got all sad because you thought he didn't write anything about you?" Edward laughed.

Esme smiled and shook her head, "I know, I jumped to conclusions... but anyway, I read a few of the things in there about you. It just took me back to the old days. It was nice. There were a lot of good memories, and I don't know if I ever thanked you for being so welcoming to me."

"You have," he assured her, "Many times."

"Well, without the two of you, I don't know how I ever would have made the transition into this life. And Bella.. she loves you so much. I've never seen a newborn transition so smoothly the way she did. It's because she loves so much."

"You'd be making me blush if it were possible," Edward told her, grinning from ear to ear.

Esme held her arms out, "Come here. Let your mom give you a hug."

Edward shook his head with a smile and hugged her. "You know, now these people really are going to think we're a couple, you know."

Esme laughed and let him go, "An old woman like me and a youngster like you?"

"Oh yeah," Edward said sarcastically, "You look ancient."

The two of them continued to reminisce and share laughs as they wandered the streets of Forks.

Esme's phone beeped, signaling a text message. Sue's name popped up and it read: Can't seem to get a hold of Seth. Said he & Lucy were going into town. Are u still there w/ Edward?

"It's Sue," Esme said, "I just have to text her back. She can't get a hold of Seth."

"Can't you sense him?"

Esme inhaled the night air, "Oh, yeah I can." She quickly texted Sue back: Looking now. Edward said he's nearby.

They roamed the streets, tracking down his scent. "I guess her scent only masks other vampires," Edward said, referring to Luciana.

"Lucy's?"

He nodded, "There's another member of the pack with him."

"Jared right?" Esme asked, "I thought he was with Sam..."

"Who knows with their wolf dramatics."

They were headed right for the movie theater and noticed Jared right away with his girlfriend by the corner of the building. As Edward and Esme approached, he gave them both a head nod. Just beyond the corner of the building, Seth and Luciana stood with their lips locked until Edward purposely cleared his throat.

Seth opened his eyes and looked in shock at both of them, "Hi," he said with a guilty smile, backing away from Luciana.

"We don't care," Edward told him, reading that Seth was worried about what he and Esme thought of their brief makeout session.

Esme smiled, "Just call your mom," she told him, "She was wondering why you haven't picked up your phone."

Jared let out a laugh and Seth smacked his arm.

"What are you doing here together?" Edward asked curiously, looking back and forth between Jared and Seth.

They looked at each other as if someone had just caught them cheating on their girlfriends.

"Oh stop," Esme said to Edward. She motioned for him to leave them alone and pointed in the opposite direction. He smirked and started walking away. Esme looked back to Seth, "Call your mom so she won't worry."

"Okay," he said sincerely with a smile.

Esme said goodbye to Luciana and headed for home with Edward. They heard Jared continuing to tease Seth about calling his "mommy", though both of them were happy to see the now two separate packs mingling, no matter how secretive they were being.

"I guess Lucy's okay around people now," Esme said.

Edward nodded, "No urges."

"None?"

"Zero."


	39. Discoveries

Chapter 39

Michael had left Canada without bringing his cell phone. He had convinced Olivia that it could somehow compromise their mission if he were to get caught, and made himself sound like he would die before giving the Cullens any information about their plans. Having a cell phone, he had told her, would only lead them right to her if he got caught.

For some reason, she believed his deceitful reasoning and allowed him to travel to Forks without one, not that he couldn't have simply destroyed it. It had been awhile since he'd left their group. He no longer considered himself part of the army. He was on his own now and wasn't quite sure what to do. He hoped Olivia wouldn't send anyone looking for him, or come to check in on him herself. Perhaps, he thought, she'll think I died on my travels.

Life on the road, as he called it, was freeing at first, but had become increasingly lonely. He didn't have anyone to talk to, and the guilt he began to feel about hunting humans was plaguing his mind. Again, he tried to kill himself through unsuccessful means. Michael still wasn't quite up to the reality of their world. Deep down he knew what was possible, and what was impossible. He had practiced how to kill vampires over and over again, but was still unable to perform the necessary harm on himself to end his own life.

The visions of Luciana and the rest of her family popped into his head. He remembered their conversation on the airplane ride. It seemed like decades ago now. She looked much younger than she did in her recent pictures, but Olivia explained that vampires who are born can age while those who were bitten cannot. It was one thing she hadn't lied to him about. Michael had never told her that he had met Luciana on the last airplane ride he would ever take in his human life.

Months ago, Michael's biggest concern was whether or not he would have enough sucess in college soccer to be considered talented enough to possibly go pro. It was a concern he welcomed and enjoyed. Now, he was worried about how many people he would kill on his journey through his awful life. He hated who he was. He felt like a demon; a monster; something from a little kid's nightmare. It was true. He was all of those things. He couldn't be within five feet of a human before he had the urge to attack and slaughter them.

Olivia had turned Michael into a blood lusting creature of the night. Depsite her claims that she found him left to die in New York, he knew that she had been the one who bit him... or at least had Nicholas do her dirty work.

At that moment, he thought of his parents. How were they upon hearing of his disappearance after boarding that fateful airplane in Italy to the States? Did they think he was dead? Did they post him as missing? How many calls did they make to the college he was planning on attending to see if they'd heard from him?

Michael bowed his head and sobbed, though no tears dropped from his eyes. He reached his hand up to wipe his face, but realized he was even too much of a monster to shed a tear. He sat on the edge of the woods in a random, dessolite area and kicked a tree as hard as he could, sending it flying in the opposite direction, ripping the roots completely from the ground.

He played with the idea of going to Forks to warn the Cullens of the danger that would lurk around them, though wasn't sure what they were all really like. Olivia made them seem like the absolute enemy. She had painted a bull's eye on their backs since hearing Nicholas's death. Michael remembered the sweetness in Luciana's voice on the plane ride, and though he knew right away that she was different somehow, he didn't get even a hint of evil from her presence.

Maybe I should go to them, he thought, and if worse comes to worse they'll kill me. He played with the idea in his mind, though realized he had no clue where he currently was. The burning in his throat heightened, and he knew that meant he needed to eat. It was a pain he let linger until the absolute last minute when he could no longer stand the feeling.

Michael stood up from his position on the ground and regretfully began walking to where he assumed would be people. He quickly found himself running parallel to a highway and the scent of human blood was all around him. He wasn't sure what to do, though he had another purpose for coming this close. He was looking for a sign to let him know where he was geographically. What he really needed to do was find a little store that sold maps, though he knew what would happen to fate of it's owner if he did.

The burning was persistant as he darted through the woods. Up ahead, he saw three deer crossing the highway, zig zagging in between cars. The three of them made it safely to the other side through some stroke of luck. Michael found himself staring at the wildlife that now lingered in his path. An idea suddenly struck his mind, and he became angry with himself for not thinking of it sooner.

The deer sat still, recognizing a predator was close by. Michael got in the crouch he usally used to take down a human. This time, he thought, might be a little trickier. He knew the deer were obviously faster and more suspecting than people. He glanced lustfully at the white of the neck before pouncing, sending the three deer scattering into the forest.

Michael punched through the trees and took down the biggest of the three deer, crying out in a form of ecstasy out as he tasted the blood. He drank and drank until there was nothing left, and he sat huffing on the dirt path, listening intently as cars whipped across the pavement of the nearby highway.

He felt satisfied, and he felt okay with himself. He silenced the thirst for blood without killing a human. It tasted like luke warm water, when he was used to his favorite flavor of Gatorade, but it worked. It was more than enough to keep the calling in check.

Michael felt himself smile. It was his first real smile in months. He was used to setting goals from his previous existance as an athlete. Now, he could set new ones for himself, and for his lifestyle.

"I have to go get me a map," he said aloud cheerfully, now convinced he could walk into a store and purchase something from a human. He glanced down at the blood on his shirt and removed it to wipe his face before tossing it to the ground.

When he reached a back road at one of the small towns nearby, he cautiously entered a small gas station, sensing that the need for blood was beginning to attack his throat again.

Goal number one, he thought, ask this man for a map and get out.

Michael walked up to the counter, attempting not to breath in at all. The man by the resister took one look at him and tensed up, looking into his burning red eyes.

"I'd like to buy a map," he told the man.

The man's hand shook as he stared at the bare chested young man in front of him. He reached for a map behind the counter and handed it to him, "That's an older one," his voice shook, "You can just take it."

"Really?" Michael asked, "Thanks!"

He quickly ran out of the store before his thirst got the best of him and hit the trails again, stalking another animal and fullfilling his lust for blood before taking time to read the map.

"Montana, huh?" he asked himself, glancing over everything. He felt successful and washed himself off in a nearby stream, "Time to go to Washington."


	40. July Second

**Chapter 40**

July second had finally rolled around. Rosalie kept looking at Esme as she sat nonchalantly in front of the television. Edward tried not to give anything away, even to Bella, as he lounged with his feet up.

Alice and Edward had sworn to secrecy with Carlisle and Esme about their decision to try for a baby that night. Rosalie was convinced that Esme would come around before the time of the night came around when the eclipse would be out in full force.

Edward tried not to pay attention to everyone's thoughts, questioning whether Esme and Carlisle had made their decision.

William had been growing and growing at a rapid rate and was out with Emmett in the driveway shooting hoops, much to his pleasure. They could be heard laughing together and having a good time.

Carlisle walked down the stairs in his work clothes and grabbed the keys to his car. Rosalie's head shot in his direction. "Where are you going?"

"To work," he told her.

"Work?" she asked forcefully, "Now?"

He looked around, "I've been working nights the last couple of weeks."

Edward tried to surpress a smile, knowing he wasn't really going to work. He enjoyed Rosalie's heated reaction.

Rosalie looked at Esme, who shrugged with a smile. Edward looked over at her, thinking how terrible of a liar his mother was.

Carlisle made his way over to Esme and kissed her on the cheek, before waving to everyone else and leaving.

Rosalie looked out the window and saw Emmett confront Carlisle the same way she had before passing William the ball to shoot.

Twenty minutes or so went by before they came in from the driveway.

"I thought you guys were going to, you know, take advantage of the moon phase tonight," Emmett said, confused.

Esme shrugged, "He's working, so..."

Edward snickered and slunk into the couch, unable to fully contain his laughter.

Rosalie and Emmett looked at him suspiciously.

"It's nothing," he told them.

"I have to take Willy out to hunt," Emmett told Rosalie, "Unless you'll let him go alone..."

"No!" she said immediately, which was seemingly the reaction he was looking for.

"Just kidding honey," he kissed her cheek as William tugged on his shirt, "Come on, Dad."

"Alright," Emmett said. The two of them left the house.

"What were you laughing at?" Rosalie asked Edward, grabbing his ear hard.

"Rose," Esme pleaded.

Edward laughed harder as she attempted to pain him into talking.

"Fine, fine," Esme said in a shouted whisper.

Rosalie let go of her brother's ear and waited.

Esme scribbled on piece of paper what her intentions were and motioned for Rosalie not to say anything to anyone else.

I PROMISE, she wrote back in big bold letters. A huge smile lingered on her face and she ripped the paper up and threw it in the garbage.

Esme had the timing of the eclipse down and stood up to leave, having already asked Sue to cover for her whereabouts should anyone ask. Edward was also in on that detail of the plan, and now Rosalie was too.

"Good luck," Rosalie mouthed as Esme waved and headed off to the house where she and Carlisle stayed for some occasional alone time. She knew he'd be driving around town to kill time until he got her phone call. She sent him a quick text message and continued to her destination, eager to get there before him.

Carlisle entered the house and closed the door gently behind him. His shoes clicked slowly as he made his way to where Esme waited for him in their room. They laughed simultaneously as he crossed through the doorway, as he quickly realized that she had already removed all of her clothing and sat with the blankets covering everything but her head and shoulders.

"Why waste any time, right?" she laughed, smiling at him with the covers now up to her chin.

Carlisle looked at her with adoring eyes and loved the cute, silly antics she was using to attempt to remove the pressure she knew he put on himself. He walked toward her and sat down on the edge of the bed, never removing the smile from his face. "Nice touch," he said pointing to the fireplace.

"Oh, that was Alice," Esme told him with a smile.

He touched her face with his hand and quickly kissed her, "I really hope I can do this for you."

Esme brushed his hair back, "If it happens it happens," she told him, sounding as nonchalant as possible, "We have forever, don't forget."

Carlisle nodded and she pulled him in to kiss her again. Her hands traveled down his shoulders to his torso and down by his waist, taking off each piece of clothing as she made her way down. The anxiety he had felt throughout the week had all but disappeared with the feel of her skin against his, and he immediately got lost in the intensity of her kiss. From the way she pulled him into her right away, he knew she wanted to take full advantage of the limited time frame they had.

Esme glided her hands down Carlisle's back and tilted her head back as he alternated between kissing and biting her neck. She let out an appreciative sigh and let her lips travel along the side of his face to the top of his ear, before running her tounge down to his earlobe.

Carlisle stopped for a second with a sigh of his own, "That feels good," he told her.

Esme brought her lips to his and looked him in the eyes, "Keep going," she pleaded and locked her legs around his waist, knowing it was something he enjoyed. He responded to her action as she hoped he would and firmly locked his hand with hers. Esme squeezed her fingers over his knuckles in response to what she was feeling before deciding to take control of the situation.

She quickly switched up their position so Carlisle's back was pressed against the headboard and positioned herself on top of him. His lips lingered on her should and he let out a loud moan as she grabbed the head board behind him with both hands. He brought her body so it clashed against his and pushed his mouth against hers again.

Esme worked her mouth and hips in unison, recognizing the increased intensity in Carlisle's movements and noises.

"Hold on," he begged her, a request that she would normally fullfill, though the purpose of their intimacy was different tonight. Esme continued what she was doing until she felt him jolt upward as his hand twisted violently around the sheet beneath them. It wasn't long before Carlisle's body relaxed, though she gave him only a few seconds of recovery time before she pulled him back on top of her.

Hours had gone by and the fire died down, leaving Carlisle and Esme laying together in the darkness. He gently stroked her hair as she cuddled herself onto his chest beneath the comfort of their blankets. Dim light began to decorate the morning sky, and Carlisle glanced over at the clock.

"You have to go to work, huh?" Esme asked with a little laugh.

"Unfortunately," he told her, kissing her forehead gently.

She leaned an elbow on his chest and propped her chin in her hand, "I'll send you a message with the verdict."

"Okay," he smiled, "I'm surprised Alice hasn't been lighting up our phones. I hope-"

Esme silenced his sentence with a kiss, then played with his hair and left another string of kisses down the side of his face. He let out a sigh, inhaling her scent as he did.

"Come on," she said, urging him to get up. As she stood, he pulled her back down to him with a smile. "You have to go to work," she laughed.

"Let them fire me," he told her, wrapping his arms around her.

Esme laughed and enjoyed a last minute make out session with her husband before forcing him to get dressed. They left the house hand in hand until coming to the place where Carlisle had parked his car the night before.

"It was a little fun being sneaky," Esme said, not wanting to part ways with him.

Carlisle winked and pulled her into another long embrace, latching on to her earlobe and biting her neck with gently. "I should have taken the day off," he said with a laugh.

"You should have," she agreed, clutching the back of his neck. He brought his face an inch from hers before she pulled him in for a final kiss, "Get to work doctor."

He smiled, "Will you be able to get back okay?"

Esme nodded, "I'll get there faster by foot, plus I wouldn't want to give it away to everyone yet."

"Okay," he said, "I'll see ya in eight hours."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He put his car in drive and Esme watched until his car left her line of vision before returning home. She hoped there would be a sign soon, or that Alice would have some positive news waiting for her at the house.


	41. From Angel to Angel

**Chapter 41**

Carlisle made efforts throughout the work day to check his phone, though it was difficult because he had a lot on his plate throughout the morning. When he finally got the chance around noon, there were no messages or missed calls. He checked the service bars to make sure people were able to get a hold of him, recognizing that he had full service.

He wanted to call Esme to find out if she knew anything yet, but decided to let her make the move. Throughout his unnecessary lunch break, he anxiously waited, clicking the button on his phone a number of times to check if he somehow missed a message from someone. Again, he debated about calling Esme but didn't want to upset her if she didn't get the news she had hoped for.

His foot tapped nervously on the linoleum floor without really realizing it and he looked at the clock on the wall.

Tom, one of Carlisle's co-workers, passed by and made a quick joke without stopping, "Nervous tick doc?"

He stopped tapping his foot and called back, "Didn't even realize."

There were still ten minutes left of his break, though Carlisle left his office area and went back to his round of check ups on a few of his patients. When he was about through, a older woman who worked as a receptionist pulled him aside, "One of the children on floor three was asking for you. I don't know if you're busy."

Carlisle looked at her, "What's their name?"

"His name is Kenny Walker."

"Thanks Grace." He nodded and walked to the elevator, making his way toward the third floor. This particular level of the hospital had a children's wing full of cancer patients and those who were terminally ill. The sight of the children suffering broke Carlisle's heart, though he knew there wasn't much he, personally, could do for them.

The doors opened and he stepped out, walking toward the cancer wing. He passed another receptionist, asking for the room number of Kenny Walker. She pointed him in the direction and he continued the walk until he saw the name written by the door.

"Kenny Walker?" Carlisle asked, entering the hospital room.

"Yeah," a weak voice came, "That's me."

Carlisle felt a terrible pain inside as he neared the bald, pale youth that laid helplessly in front of a television. A cartoon he wasn't familiar with decorated the screen and Kenny seemed to be mildly amused.

"I was told you wanted to see me," he told the boy.

Kenny propped himself up the best he could and began to speak, "I know you're different Dr. Cullen."

Carlisle was caught off guard but flashed a smile, "Different how?"

The boy pointed to the window, where only a small square of sunlight was able to sneak in, covered in part by another part of the building, "I've seen you out there."

He was intrigued and let him continue.

"Would you... could you.. put your arm in the sunlight Dr. Cullen?"

Carlisle felt a little uneasy, though knew now that Kenny had obviously seen him partially in the sunlight at one point or another. He felt obligated, due to the boy's deminished state and walked over to the window.

Kenny watched intently and watched as Carlisle let his hand linger under the sun's rays. His eyes lit up and a smile formed on his face. "You're an angel," he said with a hint of bewilderedness in his voice.

Carlisle removed his hand from the lighting, "I wish I could say I was, Kenny."

"But you are," he insisted, "I saw you walk inside today. You were glowing... or sparkling. Something."

"Kenny-"

"Can you help me?" he asked boldly, "Not for me, for my mom. And my dad. And my grandparents. They're so sad all the time when they come here."

Carlisle felt his entire body tense up, and he had to hold back a tear, then Masen's face popped into his head. He felt foolish for not coming up with the idea sooner. His son could come to the hospital. He could heal these children.

"I'll do my best," Carlisle told him.

Kenny smiled, realizing subconsiously that Carlisle knew it was possible. He had some sense inside that things would be okay. "I won't tell anyone that you're an angel," Kenny promised.

He let a laugh escape his throat, "I'm-" He stopped himself and realized that this boy needed to believe the words he was speaking. If it was something that would help him through the day, Carlisle would let him believe it. "Thanks," he said, thinking to himself that Kenny was the real angel in the room.

Kenny grinned, "So you'll be back?"

Carlisle nodded, "I'll be back." He smiled at the boy and walked back down toward the elevators, feeling a combination of happy, sad and a number of other things. He hoped that Masen would be able to heal the boy from the third floor.

He pressed the button with the down arrow and entered the elevator, gathering his thoughts as the doors closed. A plether of thoughts rushed through his mind. At first, he welcomed the feeling he had about his son. Masen was a blessing. He was healthy and strong. There wasn't much in the world that would be able to harm him. Carlisle found it suddenly overwhelming at how lucky he was that he did not have to experience the pain that Kenny's parents were going through.

The next thought revolved around his and Esme's choice to have a baby. While he hoped that the news that waited for him at home was what the two of them had aimed for, the fact that it might not have happened seemed a little more bearable than it had earlier in the day. The reality was that they were physically capable of having children, when they thought for more than eighty years that it was impossible. If it was not in the cards for them at that particular moment, then so be it. They would get another chance.

Carlisle concluded his thoughts, as he stepped back onto the first level, with the feeling that lingered in his mind after exiting Kenny's room, and that was the hope he had for Masen change the lives of those families forever. He wanted so badly to see the tears of absolute joy from parents who thought their lives would forever be broken due to the depth of the illnesses of their children.

No parent, he thought to himself, should have to suffer the pain of losing a child.


	42. A Folded Piece of Paper

Carlisle walked through the front door and kicked off his shoes. He looked around the house and didn't see anyone right away. From the lack of communication throughout the day, he was beginning to assume that their wishes were not granted the previous night. He thought back to the time frames of Masen and William's conceptions. Both Esme and Rosalie knew almost immediately the following day.

He climbed the stairs, passing William on the way up.

"Hey William," Carlisle said, "Anyone else home or arevyou running the place?"

"I'm running the place," he smirked.

Carlisle laughed.

"Here," William reached into his pocket and handed him a slightly crumpled, though neatly folded, piece of paper.

"What's this?"

He shrugged, "It's for you."

Carlisle held the piece of paper in his hand and watched as William continued the rest of the way downstairs, looking back a few times as he went. When his feet finally leaped onto the bottom floor at the end of the staircase, he hurried into one of the other rooms where Carlisle heard someone playing pool.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Esme asked, seeming to startle him in the hallway.

Carlisle smiled, trying to read her expression. He unfolded the paper and read the three words that were written on it in Rosalie's handwriting.

Esme smiled and waited for him to look up.

"Yeah?" He asked, continuing to smile.

She nodded with a laugh, "I'm sorry for keeping you in suspense all day."

"Sure..." Carlisle walked toward her and gave her a long hug, "It's a girl huh?"

An elated laughed rippled through Esme's body, "Yep."

"Gotta love Alice," he pulled his head back and gave her a series of kisses.

"Yes you do!" Alice's voice came as she stood in the doorway that lead to the family room. Rosalie stood next to hear with a smile, "It was my idea to keep you a little on edge all day."

Carlisle looked down with a smile then back up at her, "Thanks Rosalie."

"We thought it'd be cute to have William give you the note," Alice told him.

"I was thinking you were making him the bearer of bad news," he admitted, "From the way he kept looking back at me when he ran down the stairs."

Edward and Bella climbed the stairs to join them.

"Congratulations," Edward said. He patted Carlisle on the back. Bella echoed the statement.

"So you all told William but not me?" Emmett called from downstairs. They looked down and saw William on his shoulders.

"Sorry babe," Rosalie called down to him with a smile.

"Two for two, huh Carlisle? What'd you guys do it at the hospital?" he asked with a grin.

"Do what at the hospital?" William asked, looking down at Emmett.

"Emmett, oh my G - that's why we told our son and not you," Rosalie said with her hands on her hips, "Nothing Willy."

He easily let it go and patted Emmett's head like he was playing the drums.

"He didn't go to work last night dummie," Jasper said. No one had realized he had joined them in the upstairs hallway.

"Oh, for real?" Emmett asked.

"For real dummie," William told him with a laugh.

Emmett flipped him over off of his shoulders and began tickling him until he belly laughed uncontrollably.

Rosalie looked at them and laughed.

"Where's Masen?" Carlisle asked, "Does he know?"

Esme nodded, "He was there when Alice let me know. He felt her move." She put a hand on her stomach.

"I need to talk to him about something. When's he coming back?"

"He's with Leah," Jasper told him, raising his eyebrows.

"So never," Emmett concluded.

"I'll wait," Carlisle said.

"What's it about?" Esme asked.

"I'll talk to you about it later." He looked at Edward to see what he thought of the idea that was running through his head. His son's face was full of thought.

"So, shall we play the name game?" Rosalie asked happily.

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other. "In a few days maybe," Esme told her.

They all made their way back to whatever they were originally doing. Carlisle pulled Esme into a happy embrace as they entered their room, "I really thought it didn't happen," he said with a laugh, "I checked my phone every ten minutes."

"I wanted to call, I felt so bad at first," she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "But Rosalie thought it would be a good payback for your sneaky visit with Aro, and I had to agree with her there."

"So we're even?" He gave her a closed mouth grin.

"Hmmm... I guess we're even..." Esme backed him against the wall and kissed him, "Now what were you going to ask Masen?"

Carlisle's smile lingered and he touched the side of her face, "There was a little boy at the hospital with cancer today. He asked for me personally, and I didn't know why. When I went up to see him, he asked if I was angel and asked me to step into the sunlight that was coming in through the window."

Esme's eyes showed her slight concerns, but he knew that she was immediately on the same page as him. "You think Masen can cure him?"

"I don't see why not," Carlisle told her.

"Did you go into the sunlight?"

He nodded, "I put my hand in the path of the light."

"Do you think that will put him in any danger?"

"He thought I was an angel. I was going to protest but I felt like it was something he needed to believe."

Esme couldn't help but let a sad smile escape her face, "Those poor children."

"Yeah," he told her, "I felt it was the right thing to do in that situation. His face.. I mean, he asked if I could heal him. It was the most selfless thing he said. He wanted me to do it, not for him, but so his parents and his grandparents wouldn't have to be in pain visiting him every day."

Esme put a hand up to her mouth, "What's his name?"

"Kenny Walker."

"How old is he?"

Carlisle shrugged, "Maybe nine or ten."

"I couldn't even imagine." She instinctively put a hand on her stomach.

"I know," he told her, "I feel like we have to try to save this boy's life."

Esme nodded, "It's the right thing to do."

"It is," Carlisle said with certainty. He placed his arms back around her and felt a slight push against his stomach.

Esme smiled, feeling their daughter moving around already at just one day old.

"Wow," he said with a smile, stepping back to feel with his hands.

Esme took his hand in hers and placed it where she was anticipating the next move. They both smiled at each other as she bumped against Carlisle's hand.


	43. The Messenger

**Chapter 43**

Masen entered the house and was almost immediately approached by Edward.

"Your father needs to speak with you," he said.

"Am I in trouble?" Masen asked.

Edward smiled, "No."

Masen headed upstairs and met Carlisle about halfway down the staircase. "Edward said-"

"Come hunt with me," he interrupted.

"Okay," Masen agreed, "Is this going to be a talk about the baby? Because I'm totally fine with-"

"No, no," Carlisle said, "I'll tell you in a second." He lead the way out of the house and Masen followed.

"Should I be worried?" he asked on their travels through the woods.

"Not really, no."

Masen found himself feeling confused, though didn't ask any more questions. He watched his father take down a deer and decided to do the same, almost instantaneously feeling the burn in throat upon the release on fresh blood into the air.

He stalked a mountain lion into the thick of the woods, and apparently hadn't realized he went as far as he did until he finished his meal. Carlisle quickly caught up to him, " Trying to get away from your old man?" he joked.

Masen laughed and attempted to clean himself up as best he could, "I didn't realize how far I went."

"Listen," Carlisle said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I'd like you to come to the hospital with me tomorrow. There's a boy there who's terminally ill. He saw me in the sunlight. He thinks I'm an angel and I'd like to see if you'd be able to, well, cure him."

"Oh, wow," Masen said, "Yeah of course. Hey, could I try to cure all of the sick children?"

Carlisle looked at his son with a pondering expression, "I think maybe over time we could try. I feel like it could bring a lot of attention to us, but maybe over time we could slowly but surely try to get to everyone."

Masen nodded, "Who is he?"

"His name's Kenny. He had asked to see me and when I went up there he said he had seen me in the sunlight and asked if I would step into the light, so I did."

"Isn't that a little... risky?"

Carlisle nodded, "I wouldn't have done it under any other circumstances. I felt this kid needed to have his spirits lifted."

"I understand," Masen said, "I can't wait."

"Just come around noon tomorrow, ask for me. We'll see what we can do to help."

"Okay," he agreed, "Hopefully we can do something."

"Yeah," Carlisle said. He patted his son's back.

"And, I haven't gotten to talk to you, but I'm really happy for you and Mom."

"Thanks," he said, "How do you feel about it?"

Masen shrugged with a smile, "Well, I'll have a little sis to protect soon. Sounds awesome."

Carlisle smiled back, glad to hear that Masen was as happy as the rest of them.

"Just don't forget about me," he joked, lightly pushing his father.

"Never," he told him.

They walked back toward home together and looked at each other at the same time as they closed in on the house. There was a new scent that lingered in the air, and their lazy stroll turned into a full force sprint. Once they arrived inside, the scent was gone and they quickly realized it was because of Luciana.

A stranger stood amongst their family, being questioned, though no one appeared threatened by his presence.

Carlisle immediately locked eyes with Esme, who didn't look overly happy.

"What's going on?" Masen asked.

The strange young man turned around from his enclosed position between Emmett and Jasper.

"This is Michael," Esme told them, "He's come to inform us about something that's going on."

Carlisle motioned for Masen to walk with him to the other side of the room, where he stood protectively by his wife.

"I don't mean to be of any trouble," Michael assured them, "I just came here to warn you and then if you'd like I'll be on my way."

"Warn us about what?" Carlisle asked, looking around. He sensed that everyone else already knew.

"Remember that wandering group," Jasper told him, "They were just a small part of a much larger group. Alice was able to see it now."

"The guy you killed that was taking Lucy away," Emmett chimed in, "His mate Olivia was planning a massive attack on the Volturi. That's why they wanted Lucy so bad, and since her mate was killed, she turned her focus on us."

"She was passing around your pictures," Michael told them, "And I immediately recognized Luciana. We rode together on an airplane from Italy to New York when I was still human. Then I was attacked and Olivia claims that she saved me. I'm not stupid. I know what they're doing isn't right, so I pretended to come here to investigate, but I really wanted to warn you all. She has a well trained group coming here."

"How many?" Carlisle asked.

"More than I could keep count of," he told him, "I wanted out. I pretended to be one of her main guys and I believe I had her fooled. I want no part of any type of violence. The ones she sent here were called her test dummies. She sacrificed them knowing they'd be killed. The ones who made it home were used as combat practice."

"When are they coming?"

"Late summer," Alice said, as Michael was about to speak.

"August," he said, piggybacking onto her thought.

Carlisle looked at Esme, then focused on her mid section with his eyes.

Rosalie stared at her with sorry eyes. Emmett looked at them, "You'll have to do what me and Rose did. Go down to Isle Esme."

"The baby will be born in a month, or less," Rosalie told them.

"How late in August?" Carlisle asked Michael.

"She was rearing to go already," he told him, "I think she was thinking right away. First week or sooner."

"It could get bad," Alice informed them, "We may need to convince Sam's pack to join us. We'll need the numbers."

Carlisle put his hands on his hips and walked toward the window in quiet frustration and anger.

"It's all true," Edward told him to deminish any skepticism his father had, "You'll have to do what Emmett said."

He shook his head, "Esme, you'll go. I'm not leaving."

"And what if I haven't given birth yet? Someone needs to deliver the baby."

"Rosalie," he told her, switching his eyes to Masen, "I can't leave everyone here." He put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"He should go too," Emmett said.

"I can't," Masen protested, "You need me here in case anyone gets... ripped apart."

"He's right," Alice joined in, "He has to stay."

Michael tried to follow their conversations. Edward was going to attempt to answer the questions he had, but decided not to put in the effort at the moment.

"I'm can't leave knowing he's here," Carlisle told Esme. He turned to Alice, "If Esme,Rosalie and William went to Isle Esme, would they be safe?"

She nodded.

"Rose, do you think you could deliver the baby if you needed to?" he asked her.

"Yes," Rosalie said. She looked helplessly at Emmett.

"We'll be fine," Emmett told her, "You guys need to get to a safe place."

"I-I can't go," Esme choked out.

"You have to," Carlisle told her, "Regardless of if the baby is born before or after, you need to get out of the area."

"Olivia is gunning for you Carlisle," Michael told him, "Because of what happened with Nicholas."

"This isn't happening," Rosalie said aloud, shaking her head.

"We have Masen," Carlisle assured them both, "If something happens to one of us, he'll be able to pick up the pieces."

"Not for nothing," Michael said looking at Carlisle, "And I hate to be the one to say it outright, but Olivia won't go away until either she or you is dead."

He looked to Esme, "As long as you're safe down there and there's no chance of you to get hurt, I have to stay here. She'll come to us eventually. You can't be in harms way."

"And it's okay for you to be?"

"You're pregnant," he told her, "You have to get out of here before they arrive."

"He's right," Emmett agreed, "You, Rose and William need to go down there."

Rosalie looked nervous, "What if I don't know what to do to deliver the baby."

"You'll be fine," Edward told her, "We both have a lot of knowledge in all that."

"I know but-"

"You'll be fine Rosalie," Carlisle assured her. He looked at Esme who shook her head at him sadly, "It's the only way."


	44. A New Alliance

Luciana sat on the phone with her father in Carlisle's office. Seth stood closeby to hear both ends of the conversation, and Carlisle stood across from them, also listening.

Esme stood in the far left corner of the room, stroking one of the bookcases nervously with her hand. She hated the idea of having to rely on the Volturi as allies. As much as she knew that Aro would never allow his daughter to be in harms way, she wasn't sure he would prove to be as loyal to the rest of their family.

The dim lighting of the room, illuminated from a small desk lamp, typically gave the space a quiet, peaceful feel. Between the conversation Luciana was having with her father, and the news they'd all been given by Michael, it ultimately made the room feel eierily intense. The shadows that were cast on everyone's faces was one of the many traits that contributed to the feeling.

Carlisle knew what would be happening when Luciana hung up the phone.

Alice quickly scooted to join them with Jasper at her side. "I think we have to go with Aro's thoughts on this," she told everyone, "Our best chance is to go on the offensive."

"I'd hate to be the ones to initiate this," Carlisle told her.

"It's our only shot," Jasper told him, "They've got strict plans to follow and they'll be effective if Olivia gets her group to follow them. We have to shake up the plans and go to them."

"There is no chance she'll back down," Alice told them, "She's out for blood."

Luciana always looked nervous when speaking of her father. She knew the tension that existed between the two covens, despite agreeing to leave each other be. Her hand twisted around the arm of the wooden chair she sat in, "My dad thinks we should all go there, as well."

Seth continued to stay silent, ultimately unsure of what to do. He wanted desperately to try talking with Sam again, though didn't think there was much of a shot that they'd travel to where ever it was that Olivia had her troops.

"Between us and the Volturi, I believe they won't have much of a chance, despite their numbers," Jasper said.

"And I haven't seen anyone with a gift," Alice said, filling them in, "They won't expect us. She doesn't know that I can see things in advance."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Carlisle. They all knew he didn't like being the one to strike first in these situations, but for the first time it seemed as though there was no other choice. He looked at Esme, who still stood silently in the shadows of the room. "What do you think?" he asked.

She took in a deep breath, relaxing her arms from the tense position they'd been in crossed in front of her chest. "I think we should listen to Alice and Jasper... and Aro."

Carlisle nodded and eyed the wooden floorboards beneath his feet, nudging a small crack in the floor with his shoe, "Okay."

"My father wanted to know the date we'll all decide to go," Luciana told him, "I wasn't sure what to say," she looked at Alice, "He said he'd like to talk to you soon."

Alice and Jasper exchanged glances before she nodded, "We all need to be on the same page."

Carlisle joined Esme, sensing she had isolated herself a little from the group, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Her locked his arm around her shoulders and rubbed the side of her arm. She leaned into him slightly and took another long breath.

"I think things will work out okay this way Esme," Alice told her, "They won't know what to do between all of us, the wolves and the Volturi. There are too many weapons, even for their numbers."

She nodded, "I hope so."

They all gave each other final looks before parting ways throughout the house.

Esme motioned for Carlisle to join her in their room. He followed, closing the door behind him in time to see his wife begin balling.

"Esme," he said, feeling his stomach sink, "Es, it'll be okay. The Volturi have solved problems like this for centuries." He wrapped his arms around her, "They're all still fully intact."

She clutched the back of his shirt with her hands and buried her face into his chest. As much as she wanted to say something back, she couldn't compose herself at the moment.

Carlisle waited for her to relax, resting his chin on the top of her head. He rubbed her back and very subtly rocked her back and forth in his arms. When he felt her tears subside, he looked down at the wetness on the front of his light blue buttondown shirt. The look in Esme's eyes was something he'd only seen in recent years when their family was forced into these struggling situations.

"I know how powerful the Volturi are," she finally said, "And I know Aro will protect Lucy, but he doesn't care about you Carlisle. If something happens to you, he won't care."

"I don't need Aro to protect me," he told her, "I just need him to fight beside me... and he will."

Esme wiped her eyes, leaving streaks of mascera on her face. She noticed the black streaks on her hands and shook her head.

Carlisle quickly went into the bathroom and put water on a facecloth. "Close your eyes," he said as he returned. Esme did as he asked and he gently removed the make up from her face, kissing her forehead as he finished.

"I do agree that having Aro and the rest of them fight with you is a good decision," she said, "I just don't trust them."

"They won't do anything to compromise Lucy, or her happiness here. I have faith in that. Edward saw that in Aro's thoughts the last time we met with him."

"I don't want to leave you and Masen, Carlisle. I really don't." She sat down on the edge of the bed and put one hand over her eyes.

"You have to," he told her, "I don't want us to be apart, but as long as you and the baby, and William and Rosalie will be safe, there's really no other option."

"I know," she nodded, sniffing in.

Carlisle sat on the bed next to her and kissed along her jawline until he got to her ear, "Nothing is going to happen to us, Esme. We're going to get through this like anything else and we'll celebrate the birth of our daughter."

Esme felt tears forming in her eyes again and she immediately let them fall as the sentence left his mouth.

"It's okay," he told her, "Things are going to be okay."

Esme quickly stopped her flow of tears this time and laid her head on one of their pillows.

Carlisle spun her around so he could cuddle himself behind her and threw his arm over her.

"I feel like a broken record," Esme said, "But I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"Well, maybe you'd get lucky and get imprinted on by a wolf," Carlisle joked, "Seems to be happening more and more."

She turned her head to face him, not finding his attempted joke at all funny.

"I'm kidding," he said.

"I'm not. I don't know what I will do."

"So stop thinking about it," he told her, stroking the side of her face, "Close your eyes."

Esme did as he asked and took in the feel of his hand on her cheek. She felt his leg drape over both of hers and the two of them laid there together for hours trying not to think of what was in store for their immediate future.


	45. Planning

**Hey all.. I've been meaning to write on here that I apologize for the amount of spelling/grammar mistakes throughout my writing. I don't always have the time to proof read, so that's why. I started coaching this week and have some longgg days of tryouts.. so bare with me with the grammar! :) Thanks! ... and thanks again for the reviews/critiques!**

* * *

**Chapter 45**

Jasper and Michael had spent long hours talking about Olivia's coven. There were lots of details Jasper needed to be made aware of. He fully understood the tactics of war and believed he had a good grasp on the mentality of the group.

Their family sat before him in almost a classroom like setting. Jacob's pack was also present, and the Denali clan had joined them upon receiving Rosalie's phone call. Madison and William sat together in front of the television that was just an earshot away from the rest of the group. They were fully focused on the television show that played on the flat screen.

"They will be well trained in hand to hand combat," Jasper explained, "Some have been at it for years, and other months. Either way, they've been practicing on sacrificial vampires for some time." He looked at Michael to make sure the details were correct before continuing, "I believe that their biggest weakness is that they'll be very robotic. Olivia has one fine tuned plan engrained in their minds. When we throw a wrench in those plans by attacking first, they'll be caught off guard and won't know what to do - at least initially."

Jasper studied everyone's faces. There were a number of head nods and few people exchanged looks. A loud clap of thunder made the setting extremely fitting as the daylight hours were coming to a close in Forks. Rain began to lightly pelt the windows and harsh winds could be heard whistling about outside.

"If they get a chance to carry out the plan they've been training for," he went on, "Their edge will heighten significantly. Think of their unit as a computer program. It's designed to do one thing specificly. It won't go off the path it was designed for. If you add a computer virus, the entire thing gets messed up; it goes into a tailspin. Metaphorically, we have to plant that virus so they break down and cannot carry out the plan they've been expecting to. They know nothing else."

"Was there an exact date?" Edward asked, "Or was it vague.. just the month?"

"She never gave us an exact date," Michael explained, "But I'd assume they'd be leaving the premises by the end of this month." He ran a hand along his throat and clenched his jaw.

"You need to hunt," Edward said.

"I'm okay," he lied.

"He can read minds," Jasper told Michael, "No sense in downplaying your thirst."

"I know you don't want to kill any more humans," Edward said, "You've recently made the transition on your travels to hunt wildlife."

Michael looked surprised, "Yeah."

"If you've wondered why all of us have gold or amber eyes, it's because that's how we live. We don't hunt people. We hunt deer, mountain lions..."

"Bears," Emmetted chimed in with a grin.

"Lucy mentioned that to me," he said, then shook his head, "Yeah I need blood." His eyes were a lighter shade of red but there was still human blood that lingered in his body.

"I'll take you out," Edward said. He saw that Michael was ashamed for killing people in the past. "Listen. No one's judging you here about what kind of food you chose to eat in the past. Decades ago I did the same thing for a little while before I found who I was again and went back to Carlisle's lifestyle. He got me going in the right direction. You can do the same."

"And everyone here is aware of my story," Jasper told him with a smile. He looked at Bella, "I almost... ate Bella once... before became a vampire."

Michael looked from Jasper to Bella and waited for her nod. She smiled and looked at Renesme, unaware of if her daughter knew that.

"I hated myself before I found you guys," Michael expressed to them, "I still kind of do. I'm not a violent person at all.. well I guess I'm not a person anymore. I tried to, well..." he thought for a second, and realized Edward could probably already read him, "I tried to kill myself several times. Nothing worked. I just didn't want to hurt any more people."

"If you do feel strongly about it," Carlisle said, "Then there are these other choices. It may be a struggle at first, but you'll become acustomed to it."

Michael nodded, "Thanks. I do think I've started to become acustomed already. I haven't fed on a human since the light bulb went off in my head that animals have blood too."

Alice snickered and attempted a joke, "Yeah. It's a new discovery they've made."

Michael looked to Jasper and a smiled formed on his face before a light laugh left his mouth.

"Where are you originally from?" Carlisle asked, addressing his accent.

" Staybridge, England."

He nodded, finding the young man's story to be similar to his own in certain ways. Upon hearing of his struggles with becoming a vampire, and his enthusiasm to feed on something other than humans, Carlisle found himself able to relate and hoped they could help him adjust.

"Little David Beckham," Emmett said with a smile, "You got the blonde mohawk and everything."

"I wish," Michael said coyly.

The mood had become slightly lighter, though they all knew they had to begin changing their mindsets for the time being. Edward pulled Michael outside and the two of them went out to hunt.

"I like him," Rosalie told everyone, "We owe him for telling us all of this."

"I like him, too," Jasper agreed, "He's given us a lot of information. Edward's confirmed that he hasn't lied to us once."

"I feel bad for him," Esme said, "He mentioned once before that he often wonders about his parents but doesn't want to risk hurting them if he went back home."

"It's probably best that he doesn't," Emmett said, "Not everyone's as tame as Bella was in her earlier stages."

Alice stood up and cuddled herself under Jasper's arm, "I think we need to book the plane tickets."

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other and he noticed the immediate downgrade of her expression.

"I think we should book an extra one for Maddy... and Kate if you'd like," Alice said.

"I think I'll just have Maddy go, if that's okay with you two." Kate looked at Rosalie and Esme, "I know Rose has to be there to deliver the baby. I think if I'm here I can be used in the fight." She quickly shocked Garrett without much of a warning and he dropped to his knees in pain.

Emmett laughed and the rest of them all had smiles on their faces.

"You're so lucky I love you," Garrett told her, gathering himself together and standing back up.

Kate grinned at him and nudged him with her hip.

"That's definitely fine with us," Esme told her. She looked around the corner and the two children in the other room, smiling at their naivety of the situation.

"We should book it now," Alice said again, "And get you guys down there as soon as possible."

Rosalie walked over to Esme and squeezed her hand, "I'll do everything I can."

Esme turned and hugged her, "Thank you so much Rosalie."

Carlisle guided them upstairs to purchase airlines tickets. Alice walked over to Luciana, "Can you get your dad on the line?"

Aro, Caius and Marcus hadn't been nearly as on edge as the Cullens. They had taken care of reckless vampires before, many times in fact, over their centuries on earth. They went about their daily routines, not thinking twice about how good it would feel to destroy these menaces of northern Canada.

"Will we need the entire guard?" Caius asked.

"Maybe just a few of them," Aro told him, "From what Luciana has informed me, none of them have any special powers we'll need to be concerned with. Jane and Alec could probably eliminate them on their own if they needed to."

Caius nodded and heard their only means of technology sound off from a table in the corner of the room. Aro hated the idea of having a cell phone as much as the rest of them, but found that having one for their entire ensamble would suffice. He sat between Marcus and Caius, waiting for Felix to retrieve the piece of plastic for him.

The phone found it's way into his hands and he pressed the little green button that made the ringing stop, "Hello." The others listened intently and saw a slight glow in his face, "Oh, Alice. So lovely to hear from you." A smile spread across his face, "It will be so wonderful to get together for a good cause."

Their conversation went on, and even Caius found their leader's enthusiasm to be mildly entertaining. He wasn't keen on the idea of having to side with the Cullens, though his eagerness to kill off the other vampires, who thought foolishly that they could wipe out the Volturi, was enough to keep a genuine smile on his face.


	46. Promises

**Chapter 46**

Carlisle found it hard to concentrate at work, which was extremely rare. He had almost faked an illness for the first time in his career to stay home. It was Kenny Walker who had swayed his better conscience to go into the hospital.

Masen entered through the front doors and walked up to one of the many secretaries that worked on the floor.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a wide smile.

He nodded, "I need to see Dr. Cullen. I'm his s... I'm his nephew."

"Oh, yeah. I can see the family resemblence," she smiled and paged another person to page him.

Masen waited patiently before the woman pointed him in the direction of his father, "He just made his way to floor three, so you can meet him there. The elevators are right around that corner."

"Thank you," he told her and made his way upstairs.

When the doors opened on floor three, Masen stepped out and looked around, noticing right away that there were tons of finger paintings and other artsy drawings on the walls. He looked down the halls that were in his line of vision and a few children walked from one room to the next, smiling and laughing.

You'd never even know they were sick, he thought to himself before spotting Carlisle chatting with someone behind a desk. Against his better judgement, he refrained from calling out 'Dad!' across the wing. Instead he slunk his way down the brightly lit corridor and waved as his father gave him a quick head nod.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me," Carlisle said, using the dialogue that he and Masen had rehearsed.

"Yeah. Do you have a minute?"

Carlisle nodded and told the young man he'd been talking to that he'd be back momentarily. The two of them made their way down to where Kenny sat in a wheel chair in the hallway. He wore a snug winter Yankee hat, despite the fact that it was eighty degrees outside.

Masen knew instantly that this was the boy was who his father had been talking about. He had a bright smile and looked as happy as any kid he'd ever seen. He was sure that all he had to do was shake Kenny's hand and the boy would be cured of his terminal illness.

Both Masen and Carlisle knew that his parents would be too happy to even care much for an explanation. Maybe they'd think it was a gift from God, a true miracle.

"Kenny," Carlisle said, "This is my... nephew. Masen."

"Hi," the boy said.

"Hey," Masen waved, "It's nice to meet you." He outstretched his hand for the boy to shake.

Kenny looked up at him with big, wondering eyes and returned the handshake. Carlisle observed from the side, watching intently to see if anything visible would happen so he would be able to tell if it worked or not.

Masen looked Kenny in the eyes and saw a slight change in his slumped posture. He sat up strait and a long inhaled breath entered his lungs before he breathed out again. He released Masen's hand and looked around the hallways before staring down at his palms. A smile escaped his face.

"Well Da.. Uncle Carlisle," Masen said, "I have to get back. Sorry to bother you at work."

"It's not a problem."

"Bye," Kenny called after him.

Masen turned and waved before heading back out the way he came. Kenny stood up from his wheelchair and stepped over the foot rests.

"Kenny, I don't think you should-" Carlisle started.

"I'm fine," he said in a calm, friendly manner.

A nurse walked out of a nearby room and noticed Kenny walking toward the wall to look at some of the pictures that the children there had painted. She looked at Carlisle, who reassured her with a hand up and a head nod that it was alright.

Kenny ran a hand along the pictures, then looked again at his palms as if he were seeing himself for the first time. He smiled at Carlisle and at that moment, it was unofficially confirmed that the cancer stricken child had been cured.

Hours had passed, turning the day into night and Carlisle finally packed it in for the day. He made his way from the hospital toward a small store downtown that sold roses and other assortments of flowers. He'd maintained a good feeling after Masen had healed Kenny earlier in the day and decided that Esme deserved a little 'pick me up' as well. It had been awhile since he'd arrived home with roses for his wife, and he hoped that it would at least give her something small to smile about.

Carlisle pulled his car about a block from the store and headed down the sidewalk, opening the glassdoor that lead inside. A bell jingled as he entered and a middle aged woman sprung to her position behind the counter. "What can I get for you?" she asked in a cheery, welcoming voice.

He smiled and walked to the counter, removing his wallet from his back pocket, "Can I get a dozen long stemmed roses?"

"Of course," she headed to the section of the store where the flowers were and began to prepare them for him, "So, what's the occasion?"

Carlisle looked up from shuffling through a few bills, "Oh.. uh.. they're just for my wife. She's had a rough couple of days."

"Well, aren't you just the perfect man. Handsome and sweet? They don't make 'em like that anymore."

He smiled at her, "Well, you don't always get service with a smile either. So, thanks for bearing with me after you've probably worked all day."

"Ahh, it's nothing," she punched in the amount in the cash register, "That will be sixty dollars and forty seven cents."

Carlisle pulled out five twenty dollar bills and handed them to the woman, taking the flowers in exchange, "Thank you," he told her and headed toward the door.

"Hey, you gave me too much," she called to him.

"Keep it," he said with a smile, "Pay it forward or something."

The woman smiled, "Are you sure?"

"Have a nice night," he told her with a nod.

"Okay. You too."

Carlisle quickly scrambled to his car and whipped it around in the direction of their home.

Esme sat on the couch with William and Rosalie. They flipped between a Mariners game that he wanted to watch and an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Both Esme and Rosalie found it funny and the marathon that had been on for the last several hours had done a decent job at distracting them.

"So, which one of the four nerds would you choose to marry if they were the last four men on earth?" Rosalie asked with a laugh, "And I mean you absolutely had no choice... had to pick."

Esme chuckled and studied the four guys on the screen, "Well, it wouldn't be Sheldon, that I can tell you."

Rosalie laughed, "I might have to say Howard. His dirty jokes remind me of Emmett's."

The two of them laughed together.

"Back to the game Mom," William urged.

Rosalie grabbed the remote and switched it back to baseball.

Carlisle entered the house and hung his keys up. He headed over to Esme on the couch, who's back was to him. Rosalie spotted him coming and a grin spread across her face. Esme caught a glimpse of her expression and turned her head halfway around in time for Carlisle to plant a surprise kiss on her lips.

"Hey," he said, as they broke apart.

Esme smiled, "Hey."

He walked around to face her and handed her the roses, "I was thinking of you today and realized it's been awhile since I've gotten you flowers."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. She stood up and gave him a hug.

"Let me get a vase for those," Rosalie said, "Be right back."

Esme wrapped her hand around the back of his head and kissed him several times, "Thank you," she repeated.

"You're welcome." He turned to William, who was leaned forward on the edge of one of the big chairs, fully focused on the baseball game on the television. "Who's winning?"

William turned to face him, "Mariners, but Texas has the bases loaded with no outs." He turned back around to watch and shouted out almost immediately when the batter lined the ball into the outfield in between two Seattle players.

Carlisle looked at Esme and they shared a laugh at his reaction. Rosalie returned a minute later with some water in a vase and some scissors. She motioned for the roses.

"Oh I can do that Rosalie," Esme told her.

"Gimme the roses," she told her.

Esme smiled and handed them to her daughter.

"Where do you want them?"

"The kitchen maybe?"

"Sure thing," Rosalie told her, winking at Carlisle as she left.

He laughed and took another look at William before dragging Esme upstairs with him. He kissed with a gentle aggression and kicked the door closed that slammed a little louder than he'd expected.

"You're in a good mood," she said, hugging him tightly.

Carlisle continued to kiss her neck until she laughed and forced him to face her. "Surprisingly I am," he said, running his hand through her hair, "Masen cured that kid at the hospital."

"Did he really? He didn't even say anything to me about it."

"Maybe he wasn't sure at the time, but yeah. He did," Carlisle had a smile on his face, "And it made me feel better about things, like a good omen. I started thinking you might need something to make you feel a little better so I got you the flowers."

"Well, you succeeded," she said, "And I've actually had an okay afternoon spending time with Rosalie and William."

"Good," he told her, re-opening the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back." He scooted down the hall to his office and returned a few seconds later with one of the journals he'd written about Esme, closing the door behind him. He tossed her the book and went to get out of his work clothes, remaining in his boxer briefs.

Esme sat on the edge of the bed and flipped through the book, before Carlisle sat behind her, pressing his chest against her back. He let his chin rest on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her, breezing through the pages of the book until he got to a page he wanted her to read.

She let her hand rest on his bare knee and lead her eyes to where his finger was placed in the page of the journal. Esme felt him replace his hands so they rested comfortably on his stomach as she began to read aloud what he had written the day before they were married.

Carlisle pulled the fabric of her shirt back so he could have access to kiss the top of her shoulder while she read. He quickly noticed her tears dropping onto the page, though her voice didn't give away that she had begun to cry.

"Esme, I don't want to make you upset with this," he told her.

"They're happy tears," she laughed, turning toward him.

He tilted her chin toward his mouth and gave her a kiss, drying her eyes right after he did.

"Should I continue?"

"If you'd like," Carlisle said. He returned to his original position behind her, locking his calves over her shins.

"Should I strip down to my underwear and socks too?" She couldn't help but laugh as a few stray tears fell from her eyes.

Carlisle kissed her shoulder again and snickered, "Up to you."

Esme continued to read, taking in a few breaths as she did before finishing the entry.

"I promised you that you'd never have to feel the kind of pain you did in your past when we were married," he told her, "And I won't go back on that promise, Esme. I won't do anything to compromise myself or Masen when we go to Canada. We'll fight and we'll defend the rest of our family, but I promise you that I will be there to meet you on the island when all is said and done."

"Carlisle," she said, squeezing his hand. She was about to protest about not making a promise he couldn't keep, but decided against it, "I love you."

Esme felt his grip around her tighten and he put his lips to her ear, "I love you so much."


	47. A Name

**Chapter 47**

Alice and Aro had become quite the phone pals as of late. She found him overly eager to get her on the line and knew deep down it was still because he would love for her to join them. They had been mapping out when to meet in the general area of Olivia's camp to plan their bombardment face to face.

The weeks were flying by, much to the disapproval of the Cullens. The Volturi, however, were chomping at the bit to get their attack underway. Alice knew from Aro's words that had it been up to Caius and Jane, they would have already laid into the unknowing army.

"I guess it'll have to be Thursday," she told him. Jasper sat beside her, occasionally adding things for her to say by scribbling his thoughts on a piece of paper. He read her expressions as she nodded and hung up, "Okay. We will meet you there in three days."

"Any luck sensing what will happen?" Jasper asked.

"It's going to be a struggle because of how many of them there are, but we'll come out on top."

"Any losses?"

"I see a few major... injuries.. but Masen should be able to fix anyone up who needs it. We just have to make sure they don't get to start lots of fires. That's the only way he'll be unable to help."

"What about Caius and Jane? Any reason to think they'll flip on us?"

Alice shook her head, "No. Not that I can tell. There are still some blindspots in my vision though because of the wolves."

Jasper nodded, "We should tell everyone to prepare for our trip. Esme and Rosalie's flight is for the following day."

"They'll be safe here. I've already seen them on the island."

"Okay," he took Alice by the hand and kissed her cheek, nose and lips, "I can't have anything happen to you Alice. I'd never make it in this lifestyle without you."

Alice grinned and grabbed the sides of his face with one hand, squeezing just a little to puff up his cheeks, "I'm too nimble to be taken down. We'll head to Isle Esme right after we're done with our dirty work and enjoy a week or two... or three in the sun."

"Family vacation."

"Exactly." She kissed him several times quick, leaving him smiling and lead him by the hand to tell the rest of the family of their plans.

Esme's stomach fully gave away her status, and Carlisle was having consistent talks with Rosalie about what to do to deliver the baby. They had been reviewing the procedure together daily for several weeks.

"I think I'm good," she told him, "And I guess returning the favor for delivering William for us is the least I can do."

"Thank you," Carlisle told her, "You'll be fine." He turned to Esme, who sat comfortably on the couch with the lap top. She seemed to be focusing on whatever she was reading. Carlisle sat beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders, noticing immediately that she was browsing baby names.

Esme scrolled through some 'M' names first, "It might be cute to have another 'M' so we'll have Masen and..."

"Well Madison is out," he laughed.

"Yeah," she smiled, "But we don't have to do that."

They both looked together through the names and Rosalie went back downstairs to leave them to themselves.

"Nothing's standing out too much," Esme told him.

"You'll know when you see it," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

She quickly clicked another random letter from a bar at the top of the screen. Their eyes scrolled through the names before Esme settled her eyes on Alexandra. She pointed to the screen, "Alexandra is nice."

Carlisle nodded, "Yeah. I was just thinking that too."

She shrugged, "Possibility?"

He nodded again, "I like it a lot actually."

"Alexandra Rose... Cullen?"

Carlisle snickered, "Sounds perfect."

Esme closed the laptop down and kissed him before moving his hand toward the upper half of the bump on her stomach. "Alexandra," she called, "Can you move for Daddy?" Her voice was soothing and calm. It wasn't long before she moved, causing them both to smile at the same time.

Carlisle kissed her stomach and laid his ear down where his hand just was, "I wish I could read her mind like Edward."

Their family slowly filtered into the room upon Alice's request. Edward was the first to enter after hearing his name, "I can tell you what she's thinking."

"Is she thinking something?" Carlisle asked.

He nodded, "It's been the same type of thing as Renesme, Masen and William. She enjoys your voices. She feels safe, happy."

Esme smiled and felt Carlisle move his hand back to her stomach, hoping to get their daughter to move some more. They both locked eyes with Masen across the room, who stood with an arm around Leah and smiled at them with a nod.

When everyone involved was together in the family room, Alice spoke of her chat with Aro.

"We're planning on meeting with the Volturi about fifty miles from Olivia's camp on Thursday."

"Thursday, wow," Emmett said. He crossed his arms over his chest, causing William to mock the motion. He was beginning to look a lot like his father, but with a lighter shade of hair.

"I know," Alice said, "But that makes sense with our time frame. We can take a day to plan out what we need to with them in person, but we'll be far enough away that they won't sense us coming. Even though Luciana can block out our scents, she can't block out the wolves."

"Our flight is Friday," Rosalie said.

"I know," Alice said, "You'll be safe here. I've already seen you arrive on the island. Jasper just called the Denali's and they'll be heading over here tomorrow so we can get started on our trip out there."

Esme and Rosalie exchanged glances. Carlisle and Emmett eached tightened their grip on their wives and tried to sooth their thoughts about the situation.

"I don't want to make any guarentees," Alice continued, "But it looks like we'll be able to easily conquer them once we get their numbers down. That's the only advantage they'll have. We will come out of this on top."

"On top," Bella said, "But what about... in tact?"

Alice looked at Jasper, then back to Bella, "Yes, but we will need Masen."

Everyone knew what that meant, though no one wanted to ask further details about who and how.

"They'll have no idea we're coming," Jasper added, "With the Volturi's gifts, we probably don't have much to worry about. We'll just have to designate people to put out the fires they'll want to create. If one of us is hurt, seemingly fatal or not, we'll be okay in the end because of Masen. But once we hit the fire, it's all over. There's no healing after that. It's what we have to avoid at all costs."

"And as far as us burning them," Alice said, "We can do it all at the end. Make one big... bonfire."

"Have you talked about this with Aro?" Edward asked her.

She nodded, "Just got off the phone with him. He's in agreeance."

"They're best friends," Jasper joked, "I'm starting to get jealous of their late night phone calls."

Emmett snickered and Luciana smiled, glad to hear that her father's name could be mentioned without tension in their voices.

"So we'll leave some time tomorrow when the Denalis arrive," Carlisle said, "That'll give us enough time to get there in time."

Alice and Jasper nodded and everyone looked around.

"I'll pack some swim suits for everyone," Rosalie told them, "You're all planning on coming down afterwards right?"

"Hell yeah," Emmett told her with a grin. He squeezed her shoulder.

"Tell them the name you picked," Edward said, "Sorry, I was eavedropping."

Everyone turned to Carlisle and Esme. He nudged her with a smile.

"Alexandra Rose," she said, looking toward Rosalie after announcing the middle name.

They all smiled.

"Love it," Rosalie told her.

"Of course you do" Jacob teased from the corner of the room.

"Shut up," she shot back with a smile.

"Well Carlisle," Jasper said, "Let's go kill this b... woman," he grinned and everyone laughed, "So we can go enjoy some bloody mary's in paradise and you can meet your daughter... if Rosalie does a good job."

Rosalie stuck her tounge out at him. Esme found herself feeling a little better after Alice's predictions, though she knew they would have a long week ahead of them.


	48. Pre-Battle

**Just wanted to warn anyone who may be offended, some "M" content is in this chapter. If you'll be offended, please don't read. Sorta 'lemons' kind thing... Just wanted to give a warning..**

* * *

**Chapter 48**

Upon hearing Alice's instructions, Carlisle sat alone in his office for nearly a half an hour writing out three letters. He sealed them all accordingly, and had a name written on the front: Esme, Masen, Alexandra.

He had been glad that no one disturbed him during the time he was writing so he wouldn't have to attempt to explain anything. Rosalie was the only person who he was going to tell about the three envelopes. He stood up and left the room, calling out for her to come see him for a moment.

"What is it Carlisle?" she asked, assuming it was something revolving around a last minute preparation to deliver Esme's baby.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Okay," she said, recognizing the seriousness in his voice.

He handed her the small stack of letters and she noticed Esme's was on top from the label.

"What's this?" Rosalie asked.

"I need you to keep these to yourself. Don't let anyone see them."

She looked around the house over her shoulder, "Alright."

"They're letters to Esme, Masen and Alexandra... in case something happens."

"You think something-"

"It's just a precaution," he said with a smile, "But I don't want to worry Esme, or anyone else for that matter. I'd just like you to please take them just in case. It would mean a lot."

Rosalie felt a slight sadness in the pit of her stomach, but nodded, "Okay. I-I won't say anything."

"Thanks," Carlisle nodded at her.

Rosalie nodded back and tucked the letters away in the large pocket of her hooded sweatshirt before heading back downstairs.

Carlisle made his way to his room after finishing the conversation with Rosalie. He had heard Esme enter the shower minutes before and stripped off his clothes before heading into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

He stepped in behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, over her stomach. She jumped, completely startled by his touch, then let a smile spread on her face as she wiped soap away from her eyes.

"You scared me," she laughed, covering her stomach with her hands.

"I just thought you might need some pampering," Carlisle said, "And don't be selfconscious, it's just a small baby bump."

"Well in a few days I'll be a lot bigger," she told him.

He held a hand out, asking for the bar of soap in her hand and motioned for her to turn around.

Esme smiled and did as he asked, pressing her shoulder blades against his chest as he wrapped his arms back around her and ran the bar of soap over her stomach, lathering her skin with his other hand. He kissed her on the cheek once before continuing up her body. He felt her sigh as he reached her more sensitive areas, and locked her hand over his to keep him from removing it from her chest.

Carlisle continued running the bar of soap over her shoulders and back, allowing Esme to keep his free hand in her grasp. "Let the water hit your back," he said, spinning her around to face him to the showerhead could hit where he'd just left trails of soap.

"Thank you," she said with a half smile.

"You're welcome."

She traced beads of water with her fingers that trailed down his arms, "I need you," she said, looking him in the eyes.

Carlisle saw the beginning of tears that had yet to fall and began to shake his head to respond. Esme slowly brought her mouth to his and the thoughts he had prior to that moment left his mind. He kissed her softly, taking his time at first so she could sense that it wasn't lust that had guided him into the shower with her.

Esme felt his hands gently rubbing her back, blending the water with her skin. She leaned her back against the wall and ran her hands down toward the muscle lines on Carlisle's hip bones before lifting her leg upward so it rubbed against the top of his.

He completed her motion by placing a hand under her thigh and moving in to meet her, causing her to let out a closed mouthed moan almost immediately. Her eyes were pressed shut and she shifted accordingly as he moved his hands so she sat comfortably in them as he began to move.

The water continued to blast onto Carlisle, while Esme was now out of the reach of the path of the showerhead. She opened her eyes and felt a rush of butterflies in her stomach as she watched her husband's perfect figure move at a constant pace beneath the rush of the water. His wet eyelashes caught her attention and she thought to herself that he looked absolutely beautiful, moving blindly in his actions though moving perfectly all the same.

Carlisle felt Esme's deep sighs rippling through her body and he gripped her a little tighter with his hands, digging his fingertips into her skin so he could pull her hips to meet his every time he moved into her. He knew from her increasingly loud moans that she was lost in the moment and hoped to heighten the sensation for her by moving his mouth to her neck, tracing the lines with his tounge on the mark that he'd left when he'd made her his forever.

Esme felt like she was in a dream sequence every time she struggled to open her eyes, only to close them again from the euphoric feeling that continued to increase in waves throughout her body. She knew she had been loud, though she couldn't help it. The thought that this could possibly be the last time they would ever be together replayed subconsciously in the depths of her mind and acted out for her. "God," she said out loud, "Don't stop Carlisle."

The tone of her voice as she spoke his name in desperation pierced his ear drums like a thousand pleasure filled daggers that reacted like a domino effect throught his every limb. He moved fast, knowing she needed what he was about to give her.

Esme's hand pulled firmly on the back of Carlisle's soaked hair and she tried to control her final sounds as he sent her over the edge. She clutched onto him as, what felt like, heat waves paraded down her arms and legs and even into her face. She knew her reaction was likely to cause a similar reaction from her husband.

Carlisle tried to control his panting through his final moments, trying to block out the fact that he had probably woken up the entire town of Forks. He tried with everything to control himself, though the most primal of noises escaped his mouth and he griped Esme's hips tightly before letting his eyes flicker open accompanied by several loud composing sighs.

He didn't move away from her for several minutes. Esme didn't seem to mind, still draping her arms around his neck until he finally let her feet back down to meet the tub. She leaned up to kiss him again and he held her close to him. The two of them lingered under the water before he kissed her forehead.

"I didn't expect that," she told him.

"Me either," he said, "You'll probably call me a liar but I didn't come in here for that."

Esme smiled up at him, then let her smile fade at the sad look in his eyes. "What's wrong Carlisle?" She sensed he might have known something she didn't.

He shook his head, "I just don't want to be apart from you. I know all along I've been for it, and I still am because I know it's for the best, but I'm dreading tomorrow... and the next day and the next."

His words sent shivers down her spine and she quickly came down from her high as fast she had gotten there, "I don't want to be away from you either."

"I wish this wasn't happening," he told her, shaking his head.

Esme saw a slight glisten in his golden eyes and it caused tears to build up in her eyes, as well.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to force a laugh, "I just ruined the moment."

"No you didn't," she hugged him again and gave him a long stream of kisses, "I love you so much Carlisle. I have a good feeling that this will work out."

He nodded, then tried to change the subject, "Let me just run some shampoo through my hair and I'll meet you out there."

"Okay," Esme leaned in and kissed him again before making her way out to use the blowdryer.

When Carlisle exited the shower, he realized Esme had gone downstairs and was currently talking with Rosalie. He hoped she'd kept her promise and didn't say anything about the letters. From the tone of their words, he guessed she hadn't.

"Where's Masen?" Carlisle asked, walking downstairs and spotting Emmett.

"He was playing pool with Jasper..." his voice trailed off.

"Where'd he go?"

"Hunting... and I doubt he'll be back anytime soon."

Carlisle noticed Leah was still in the house, so his original thought went out the window.

Emmett motioned for him to join him down the hall in the room with the pool table. The ceiling fan above it had fallen and the lights attached had shattered across the pool table. Edward was in the process of sweeping everything up. He couldn't help but smile as Carilsle walked in the room, but looked back down to clean up the mess.

"He, uh, bolted out of her right after your pre-battle battle cry up there."

"Emmett," Edward scolded his brother.

Carlisle would have normally been embaressed, but he still felt an overwhelming sadness in the pit of his stomach that took over, "Edward, I'll clean it up. I'm sorry."

They were both caught a little off guard at his demeanor, but Edward quickly read his thoughts and lead Emmett out of the room so he could have a minute or two to himself.

"Hey," Carilsle called after them, "Get him back here if you could."

"Okay," they called back.

Rosalie entered the room and knew better than to say anything to him in a joking manner, "What do these letters mean Carlisle?" she whispered.

"They're precautionary letters."

"I know, but... Emmett-"

"Alice is certain that Emmett is going to be alright. I hope that will ease your mind a bit. Every vision she's had, he's been okay."

"What does that mean about the rest of this?"

"Emmett will be okay," he repeated.

The sad, serious look in his eyes made Rosalie very uneasy. Before she got choked up enough to cry, she nodded at him and left the room.


	49. Goodbye For Now

**Chapter 49**

"The Denalis are here," Edward called out to everyone.

William sat close to Emmett and looked up at him sadly, "No," he said, "Not yet."

Emmett felt like his heart at been pulled apart. He opened his arms and let William hug him tightly. His grip was hard to pull away from, and when he finally let go, tears streaked down his face.

"You get to go on vacation with Mom," he told him, "And Maddy... your girlfriend." Emmett was trying to lighten the mood for his son.

As bad as he tried to hide it, William's mouth slightly turned in a half grin, though tears still slid out of his eyes, "She's not my girlfriend."

"I think you have a crush on her."

"I don't," he laughed, as Emmett tickled his sides.

Rosalie stood above them upstairs and smiled, though felt the same bittersweetness that everyone else was feeling.

"Come on," Emmett said throwing William on his back, "Let's get the door."

"I don't want you to go," he said again.

"I know. I don't want to. It'll be less than a week. Then we'll never separate again."

"Ever?"

Emmett threw his hand out for him to shake as a promise, "Ever."

William shook his hand, then clutched onto him tight as the two of them opened the door in time to see the whole Denali clan parading up the front steps.

"Hey," Emmett welcomed them, "Come on in. You ready?"

"Ready as we can be," Carmen said.

"Hey William," Madison said as she came in.

William eyed Emmett before answering, "Hi."

"Told ya," he whispered.

"No," his son protested in an even quieter whisper.

Kate cracked her knuckles and looked at Emmett, "Let's do this thing."

The rest of the family and family extended headed in to greet the Denalis. Carlisle and Eleazar shook hands. "Thanks for joining us," he told him, "Alice has told you all of our arrangements?"

"Yes," Eleazar told him. The others all nodded.

"You must be Michael," Garrett said, noticing the one vampire amongst them that he didn't recognize.

Michael nodded, "Yeah."

"Garrett," he held a hand out. They all exchanged a quick greeting before Tanya made it known that she was ready to get a move on.

Kate and Garrett spent a few long minutes with their daughter, reassuring her that everything would be fine and that she was going to have fun on vacation, similar to that that Emmett had told WIlliam.

Madison's original outgoing nature was now overshadowed by a quiet shyness, not wanting to part with her parents.

"You get to hang with William all week," Kate told her, then whispered in her ear, "He thinks he can throw a football farther than you... and he thinks he's faster too."

A grin spread over her face and Kate's distraction tactics at least worked a little bit, "I'm faster."

"I know," Kate said, kissing her cheek.

William stood with his arms crossed over his chest, fully hearing their conversation clearly. Garrett winked at Emmett, who smiled back widely. They both enjoyed the little competition that could arise between the two children to keep their minds occupied.

Rosalie locked eyes with Emmett and motioned for him to join her for a moment before they left.

"How many cars are we taking?" Eleazar asked, "All of us fit in one car."

Carlisle nodded, "I think we'll take Emmett's Jeep and Alice's car," he looked over at Jacob, "You can take my car. We'll see if everyone can fit."

"Me?" Jacob asked.

"Why not?"

"Okay," Jacob looked surprised.

They all headed outside. Esme tugged on Carlisle's sleeve, "Can I just talk to you for a minute before you go?" He nodded and motioned to Eleazar that he'd be right out.

Esme pulled him into one of the several dark hallways in their house. She pulled him to her and hugged him tightly, "I wish there could be some other way than this."

He returned the hug, rubbing her back, "I know Esme."

"It's not fair. I hate this."

"I feel the same way," he told her, then pulled back to face her, "Try to just relax out there."

"Oh yeah, like that's going to happen."

He grinned and kissed her, "I can't wait to see Alexandra." He placed a hand under her shirt and fixed it on the baby bump.

Esme put her hand over his and to both of their satisfactions, the baby moved or kicked.

Carlisle smiled, though Esme began to sob. "I can't do this without you."

"Rose will be there," he insisted, kissing her forehead.

"That's not what I mean," she said, trying to keep her voice down, "I can't do any of this without you. I can't live without you Carlisle. I can't raise this baby..."

"Esme," he said, taking her face in his hands, "I'm just playing into the scenario you're talking about, but if something were to happen to me, you'd be fine. Maybe not right away, but you would. You're a great mother. You have Masen, and you'll have Alexandra. Everyone else would-"

"Stop, stop..." she tried to catch her breath, "I know I brought it up, but I don't want to talk abou it anymore. I'll drive myself crazy."

Carlisle pulled her close to him again, "I don't want you to spend your whole week like this."

"I don't think I'll be able to help it," she sniffed in, "Do not let Masen out of your sight. Stay with him the whole time. If something happens to him there's no one who has his healing powers."

"I know," he told her, "I won't let anything happen to him."

They shared a long embrace, sharing urgent kisses and another hug that each of them didn't want to end. Carlisle kissed her forehead.

"Can you send Masen in here?" she asked.

"Sure." He let his hand run down her arm and left the hallway.

Minutes later, Masen entered the house and found his mother crying in the dark. Immediately he threw his arms around her, "Mom. We're going to be okay. It sucks big time, but we'll be fine. We have each other... and like it or not the Volturi."

"Please be careful," she told him, running a hand along his face, "You're still my baby. You know that right?"

He smiled, "I know."

"God, Masen I love you so much."

"I love you too," he told her, "But trust that we'll be fine. I have the magic touch remember?"

"If you can help it, don't fight. Stay back and let people come to you who have been injured. They even do that in the military. They have doctors who stay back at camp and that way when people come in who need help, the doctors are safe."

He thought about what she was saying and thought it made sense, "I'll mention it to everyone. I think it's a good idea actually. I just don't want to see like I'm punking out."

Esme shook her head, "You're not. Tell them. Please."

"Okay," he promised, hugging her again, "Now stop stressing out so it doesn't effect Alexandra." He rubbed a hand fast over her stomach.

"You're right," she said.

Masen put an arm around his mother's shoulders and walked her out to where everyone was getting into their specific cars.

"Back of the Jeep with Leah," Carlisle said to Masen, "You're riding with me and Emmett."

"Okay," he said with a nod. He kissed his mother on the cheek and headed to the car.

Their arrangements were settled and everyone said their goodbyes. Rosalie walked to the passenger seat where Emmett sat and had William wave him off one last time as she gave him a stream of kisses all over his face before finding his lips.

Madison cried as she parted with her parents, leaving her hand on the window of the car next to Kate.

Esme leaned on the driver's side window that hung open and Carlisle sat behind the wheel. "I love you," she told him.

He smiled to try to reassure her that things would be alright, "I love you so much. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me Esme."

"Carlisle... I'll see you soon," she looked down, "We'll see you soon."

He nodded and closed his eyes as she leaned in to kiss one one last time before he started up the car.

Esme tried her best not to cry as she waved, getting similar butterflies in her stomach from earlier as he winked at her as the car drove by and out of sight.


	50. Absence

**Chapter 50**

Esme and Rosalie had spent the remainder of the night packing things for their trip. They spent the early morning hours playing with William and Madison outside before allowing them to watch a movie that the two of them had agreed on.

"Did you pack my blue swimsuit?" William asked from in front of the television. "I hate the red one."

"I think we packed both," Esme told him, "But I definitely saw your mom fold the blue one."

He thought for a moment before saying, "Okay," and returned his attention to the movie.

Rosalie brought a few bags downstairs and placed them by the door. Esme could see that she'd been crying and went to comfort her. They both looked toward the children to make sure they were still focusing on the movie. Neither of them wanted to upset them any further.

"Sorry," Rosalie whispered, throwing her arms around Esme.

"Don't be silly," she said, hugging her daughter.

"This is going to be a long week. Alice has been so vague with me lately. It scares me."

"I know what you mean," Esme told her. She looked at William, "Go sit with them. It will make you feel better."

"There are still a few things to pack."

"I'll get them." She smiled and Rosalie made her way toward the living room couch to be with her son and Madison.

Esme turned as she walked up the stairs, seeing William place a head on his mother's shoulder as they sat together. She smiled to herself, feeling both happy and sad at the sight of their moment of affection. She took a minute to pray that Emmett would be fine so William would never have to feel any kind of pain.

She crossed into her room and began placing a bunch of t-shirts and shorts into the already open suitcase that sat at the edge of the bed before making her way to her dresser. She opened the middle drawer and pulled out a pair of Carlisle's swim trunks that he'd worn when they went down to the island for their last vacation. She then removed one of his casual t-shirts.

His scent lingered on his clothes and Esme began to cry quietly, holding his shirt to her face to silence her tears. She soaked in everything about him in the piece of fabric as a montage of some of their more recent memories flashed through her mind. She suddenly felt relieved that she was able to shed tears after all this time. It was a free release of her emotions and helped her through the moment.

She stumbled into his office and made her way to some of the things he'd written. His neat penmanship made her smile and she located a book on the corner of his desk that he'd been breezing through on occasion. There was no other place in the house that sang his presence more than his office, and it was a struggle for Esme to leave the room. Being apart from him with the possibility of never seeing him again was even more of a struggle than she anticipated.

The ringtone to Esme's phone sang through the upstairs portion of the house and she quickly realized she'd left it on the bed by the suitcase. As she ran into her room, she saw her husband's name illuminated on the screen and hit the receiver button as fast as she could.

"Carlisle?" her voice came out frantic and desperate.

"Yeah," his voice came, "We stopped for a few. People needed to hunt. How are you doing?"

Esme felt like there was something stuck in her throat. The sound of his voice gave her an emotional response greater than she was expecting, "I'm, I'm okay. Just packing."

"We should be meeting with Aro and the rest of them in less than a day. We're going to leave the cars at a rest area soon and make the rest of the trip by foot. Olivia's place is further south than we originally thought.. kind of by the Great Lakes."

She tried to compose herself, feeling weak and a little angry that she couldn't get herself together enough to speak with him properly.

"Es?" his voice came.

She took in a deep breath that seemed to help, "Yeah. Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," she lied.

"I was really just calling to tell you that I love you," Carlisle said, "I finally got a second to myself in the car here so..."

"I love you too," she told him, "Please be careful."

"We will. Has Alexandra moved lately?"

Esme released a genuine laugh, "All morning actually."

He returned a snicker on the other end, "Good. If you're feeling sad or find yourself thinking about things too much, talk to her. I think it'll help.. at least a little."

She felt words turn into sobs as she staggered through the next few sentences, "Carlisle, you're the most kind hearted, logical man I've ever known. You've made me so much stronger. You helped me love myself when I completely hated myself... I don't know what to do when you're not here. I don't want you to fight."

Carlisle didn't respond immediately. She heard him sigh and suddenly felt bad about possibly bringing him into a somber mood.

"Carlisle?" she choked out.

He sounded like he cleared his throat before speaking, "Esme, I won't leave you in this world alone. I promise." His voice had suddenly changed and Esme wasn't sure but thought he might have been trying to hold back tears of his own. "I love you. I will see you soon. Emmett should be calling Rosalie when he gets back to the car."

"Okay. I love you so much. Please be careful. Can you call again when you get a chance?"

"Of course."

"I love you," she said again.

"I love you too. I'll talk to you soon."

Esme hung up the phone and found herself a little more focused as she continued to pack. Their flight was coming up and she knew they'd be leaving the house fairly soon. She welcomed it with open arms, not wanting to spend more time in what had suddenly become a mental torture chamber by Carlisle's absence. Everything around her related to him in some way, and she knew she had to leave in order to keep her mind in the right place.


	51. Meeting Place

**Chapter 51**

Alice lead the way toward where the Volturi would be arriving shortly. She gave everyone updates on their whereabouts until they reached a desolate clearing in the Canadian woods. It was only about one hundred square feet, but she let everyone know that this is where they would meet to discuss their plans.

Emmett and Jasper got together to start a fire and Edward carried over some rocks and logs in case anyone wanted to sit. They weren't sure the Volturi would care for the warm atmosphere as much, but they decided to do what made them feel as comfortable as possible.

Edward looked at Seth and laughed, reading how nervous he was to let Aro read his thoughts. The expression on his face gave it away as much as his mind did.

"What?" Masen asked, seeing his grin.

"Seth's afraid to let Aro read his mind."

Seth's head snapped in Edward's direction and he looked at Luciana.

"I think he'll be okay with everything Seth," Edward told him, "From what I'm gathering anyway." He continued to chuckle to himself.

"We should hunt if anyone needs to," Carlisle told them, looking up at the late evening sky, "We'll probably sit and discuss things for awhile, so it'd be smart to do it now."

Edward noticed the blackness in his eyes, "Are you going?"

Carlisle nodded. He looked at Masen, who's eyes were still full of color. Jasper decided to take Michael with him and the two of them disappeared.

"I'm fine," Bella told them, looking over at Renesme and Jacob.

Carlisle shuffled through a bag and took out a bunch of human food, tossing some to the wolves and Renesme, "Take whatever you need. It's all for you."

"Come on," Edward said, "Let's go and get back."

They took off down a trail that eventually lead to a more random part of the Canadian woods, eventually tracking down some wildlife to feed on.

"So we'll be right on the edge of Lake Superior?" Edward asked, "That's what Alice had been saying."

Carlisle nodded, "Not so far north like we thought." He pushed the sleeves of his long sleeve t-shirt down upon getting leftover blood off of his hands, "Ready to go back?"

Edward nodded, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. That's kind of why I wanted to come out here. I didn't want to talk in front of everyone else."

"I'm fine, Edward."

"I don't want to argue that, but your thoughts have been a little all over the place. What has Alice told you?"

"She's told me multiple things that could happen. She just said there is a point where she couldn't read me anymore. I don't think she mentioned it to anyone else, and it's not anything for certain. It could be because of the wolves or a number of other things."

Edward could see that his father's attempt to hide his emotions was very successful in his demeanor, and if he hadn't been able to read his mind he would have ended the conversation. "You don't have to try to hide what you're thinking from me Carlisle. You've always kept our family, me in particular, on the strait and narrow. You understood my situation with Bella... I know there's a lot on the line here, and you feel guilty for having to be apart from Esme."

Carlisle looked at him, "It's easier for me to deal with the situation if I don't talk about it. I know my thoughts are all over the place, but I'm keeping it together fine and as long as I stay that way on the outside, it will keep everyone else calm and focused."

"Well since I don't apply to that rule, I'm just letting you know that you can let it out in front of me. It's not easy to keep such strong emotions bottled up."

"I'm sorry if my mind has been a distraction-"

"It's not a distraction," Edward told him, "I just want you to know that Esme doesn't feel like you're breaking any promise to her, so if that can stray from your conscience-"

"I don't want to talk about it Edward," he said, shaking his head.

"I just thought you should know that she doesn't feel that way... and your daughter won't either."

Carlisle picked up a small branch by his foot and tossed it as hard as he could to the side, "I feel that way."

"Well don't," he told him, "It's not true."

"It is," Carlisle insisted, "It is though Edward."

"How?"

"You've made promises to Bella..."

"Yeah."

"Put yourself in my shoes then," Carlisle told him, "I told Esme that she'd never have to feel the pain she felt in her previous life... and that I'd never leave her. Right now I've done both of those things... and if something worse happens, it'll be a forever broken promise, not just a temporary one."

"You haven't caused her to feel the pain she felt a long time ago. They're completely different types of pain."

"But pain nonetheless," he said, then added, "I'd rather not discuss it any more. I appreciate the concern, but I have to get my mind right for what we're dealing with here."

Edward held a hand out and pulled Carlisle into a hug as he reached to shake his hand. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Carlisle hugged him back and fought hard to hold in the tears that made his eyes shimmer in the darkness. "You're still my son, too. I hope you know nothing's changed."

Edward smiled, "I know."

They walked back to where the rest of them were set up and recognized that Aro, Caius and Marcus had just arrived. The scents of others were nearby, but only the three of them were currently present.

"Carlisle, Edward," Aro said pleasantly, "So happy to see you," he looked around, "Are the others still out drooling over elk?"

Caius snickered at the comment, though remained silent behind their leader.

"No," Carlisle told him, looking around, "I believe everyone's here."

Aro looked confused, "Where's your mate Carlisle? Dear Esme..." His eyes shifted to Emmett, "And Rosalie." He overpronounced the last syllable of her name.

Emmett looked at Carlisle, and Aro held out his hand, "It'll be easier this way."

Edward could see that Carlisle didn't want to let Aro know of their location, but felt he had no choice and lifted his hand into the air. Seth shifted uneasily next to Luciana, who had already exchanged greetings with her father. He had yet to request a mind reading from Seth, but it was something he feared.

Aro looked at Carlisle, then shifted his eyes to Alice, "It seems as though you left out a few details during our phone conversations."

Caius and Marcus looked at each other behind him, both wondering what secrets Aro had discovered.

"I didn't believe it had much relevance to our plans," Alice said.

Aro smiled and nodded then looked to Carlisle, "We have a lot to discuss."


	52. Rain At Dawn

**Chapter 52**

The plan had been set, and Aro decided against making an issue of his recently found news of the latest Cullen additions. Despite his cold reputation, he was still generally logical, only acting impulsively now and then when he felt something threatened his coven's existence or effectiveness. He was able to keep Caius in check and valued him as almost the devil on his level shoulder. Marcus was the angel on his right, though all of them had been forced by their highness in the vampire world to make harsh decisions for the good of everyone... or so that's what they told themselves.

Caius continued to talk down to anyone outside of the Volturi, which was expected and accepted. They were, after all, the law makers of their society and so no one took any extra offense. "I'd rather have just come and wiped them out ourselves like we always do," he said aloud to no one in particular, "We've never needed help in going about our business."

Aro silenced him with a hand and a subtle smile. He looked at Luciana and made his way to spend some quality time with his daughter. Seth got up from her side and went to give them space when Aro called him back.

Emmett and Edward exchanged smiles at the fear in his face.

"It must suck to have him as a father in law," Emmett said with a smirk.

Carlisle motioned for him to be quiet and made a face. The last thing they needed was for one, or all, of them to break the pact they'd made over a witty comment. He looked at Aro who had obviously heard what Emmett had said, though didn't pay it much attention.

"May I?" Aro asked, reaching for Seth's hand.

He and Luciana exchanged glances and Seth raised a visibly shaking hand toward the Volturi leader. Caius couldn't help but smile, apparently thrilled at the thought that their group still proved to have that much power over the rest of them.

Aro took his daughter's boyfriend's hand in his own and looked down, feeling the fear in his young heart from the intense worry in his thoughts. Seth's entire body seemed to be trembling, waiting for the response from the intimidating being in front of him.

Everyone stopped what they had been doing to see the result, no matter how hard they tried to make it seem like their focus was elsewhere. Edward was able to read similar thoughts from the entire group, both the Volturi and his own family.

Aro smiled widely and tapped Seth's face gently, "Good choices son. Very smart choices."

Seth let out a long, relieved sigh and a series of husky breathes filled his lungs sending his back and chest into an up and down battle. He swallowed hard and put his hands in his pockets before looking over at Luciana.

"I'd like to take my daughter to hunt," Aro told him, "And no I'm not asking for your permission."

Edward looked at Carlisle and nodded. It was apparent from his thoughts that by 'hunt' he meant animals.

"O-Okay," Seth stuttered, looking like he was still in a state of shock.

"You could use a shower, or a permanent air freshener in your pocket," Aro commented before swooping his daughter away to eat.

"Pee your pants yet Seth?" Emmett asked.

"He's far more decent than I would be," Caius said firmly, staring at Seth.

"My tactics didn't even work on that one," Jasper said with a grin, looking at Emmett.

Seth remained quiet and laid down. Moments earlier he had almost appeared tired, though this seemed to have sparked a major adrenaline rush that made him appear wide awake. His eyes stared up at the tree branches above him, and Masen and Leah made their way close to his side to try calm his nerves.

Carlisle looked over at his son who had not left Leah's side since they'd left Forks. He felt a spark of happiness knowing they had each other. Masen's arm was draped over her shoulders and he gently massaged the top of her arm, whispering things every so often into her ear. Alice had informed him that the two of them would be fine, and Aro had agreed to the tactics he'd presented about staying in a safer area as the role of a 'doctor'. It seemed to make sense to everyone, and even Caius was completely on board with the move.

There was an odd tension amongst them with Caius and Marcus towering over everyone, not caring to sit and standing intimidatingly strong in their dark robes. They held serious expressions and sat back just observing. Carlisle was used to their demeanors, despite having been away from them for so long. He sensed it made the tribe members a little more uneasy than the rest of them.

Clouds rolled over the sky, beginning to cover the moon and dim the stars. A light rain began to smack against the tree tops, sparing drops of water making their way to the earth's surface where everyone sat.

"It's almost time," Marcus said in a low, raspy voice, "It'll be dawn soon."

"If it were up to me, we'd have already attacked." Caius told him.

"Patience," Marcus replied, closing his eyes and the rain picked up.

It wasn't long before Aro and Luciana returned and it sparked everyone to get ready to move to their final location.

"Shall we head to Superior?" Caius asked, immediately standing at attention.

Aro looked to Alice and they seemed to have a quick, non-verbal discussion before he nodded.

"Carlisle," Aro said as everyone began to move, "Could I have a word?"

"Sure," Carlisle said. He stood up and walked to a secluded location with the Volturi leader. The members of their family looked with concerns expressions over their shoulders, though Edward paraded them forward upon reading that things would be okay.

Aro pulled out Luciana's phone, which had a message typed in it that hadn't been sent to anyone. "I hate these things," he said, "But..." His voice trailed off and he allowed Carlisle to read what was written. His eyes scanned the unsent message, though he didn't dare read it aloud: Out of gratitude for the acceptance of Luciana I would like to just warn you to keep away from Caius and Jane during the fight. They have no intentions of going against you, but of all of us, they are to be trusted the least in regards to our current temporary alliance.

Carlisle nodded at the message, fully understanding that Aro would not be able to speak the words without everyone hearing him. Their senses were all on high alert. "Thanks."

"That's all I'll give you," Aro told him, walking by to join the rest of their group. Carlisle followed close behind, not minding the distance that was created between the rest of them and himself. He inhaled the night air and removed a picture from his pocket that he'd kept to himself on their journey. It was an old photo of Esme holding Masen as a child. His thumb rolled over the creases in the photo and he took in the image for a seconds before placing it back into his pocket. He knew he had to stay alive and change his fate somehow that Alice had been so unsure of.


	53. Bittersweet Paradise

**Chapter 53**

The plane ride seemed to take forever as Esme and Rosalie made their way down to Isle Esme with the two children. They had spent the night before and part of their time on the airplane showing William and Madison pictures from when they were babies with their parents on the island. It had drawn some happy and sad reactions, sending Madison to tears the previous night, though she seemed eager to look through them again on their trip.

The atmosphere in Brazil was happy and upbeat, contrasting what Esme and Rosalie were feeling inside.

"Where's the boat?" William asked as they walked down a crowded sidewalk.

"We'll be there soon," Rosalie told him, "Just a couple of blocks."

"Blocks?"

She smiled, recognizing there were lots of little things he missed in his extreme growth spurt, "It's coming up, that way." She pointed down to where the water was just barely visible.

Esme's phone made a little noise and she reached for it in her bag as they walked. She recognized the jingle as what she used to identify that a voicemail had been left. There were no missed calls on the phone, though a little symbol in the corner of the screen let her know that she had one message to listen to. Although she was eager to hear it, she waited until they were all settled on the boat to punch in the code that would allow her to hear the voicemail.

William wanted to help get the boat away from the dock and Rosalie allowed him to aid her in the process with Madison's curious eyes close behind.

"Untie that rope," she said, pointing toward the dock. He did as she asked and waited for another instruction, "Now sit back and relax."

"Can I drive it?" he asked with a smile.

Esme and Rosalie looked at each other with a laugh.

"Maybe when we get out into the middle I'll let you help. You too Maddy if you want."

"Okay," they both said.

Esme finally lead the phone to her ear and listened to the phone call that she had apparently missed on the plane, due to lack of service and stipulations set for safety. A recording read off: 'you have one new voice message' before Carlisle's voice rang through the receiver, "Hey Esme. I'm sure you're on the plane. I just wanted you to know that we're on our way over to Olivia's camp. Everything went as expected with the Volturi so our plans are in order. I hope you, Rosalie and the kids will enjoy your time on the island. Please be safe and tell Alexandra her Daddy says hello. I'll see you all soon. Masen says hi and don't worry. He is staying back in the doctor role as you suggested. We love you and have a safe trip. I might not be able to answer if you call back, so... I love you."

A second recording filled Esme's ears and she fought back tears upon looking over the carefree mood of William and Madison. The phone recording stated: 'to delete this message press seven; to save it press nine'. Esme quickly pressed the number nine, wanting to listen to his voice over and over again. She called his phone back immediately at the chance that he may pick up.

One ring went through and she found herself wound up tightly with anticipation. She hadn't realized but her hand was clutching the side of the boat fiercely. A second and third ring passed as she silently prayed that Carlisle would pick up so she could talk to him for a minute or two. The phone continued to ring until her husband's voicemail clicked in. She waited until it went through before leaving him a message back, "Carlisle, I'm sorry I didn't get your call. I must have been on the plane. I hope you're all safe and please please be careful. Let Emmett know that Rosalie and William say hi, and the same thing goes for Kate and Garrett with Maddy. I hope you're all being careful and I'm glad Masen has decided to stay back a little to help out anyone who needs it. God, I'm so sorry I missed your call. I love you so much. Be safe. We'll see everyone down here very soon. I love you."

Rosalie, William and Madison had all momentarily turned in her direction at the sound of their names being mentioned, though the children were again lost in the feeling of the wind as their boat sped off away from society.

Esme looked down at her stomach, which seemed to have grown tremendously over the last several days. She wished she'd mapped out exactly how long, to the day, her pregnancy was with Masen. She was beginning to feel like it wouldn't long, and had heard rumors, at least for human mothers, that anxious or exciteful events could cause the baby to be born early. From the more constant movements, it seemed as though their daughter was more than ready to come into the world.

Rosalie called for William and Madison, allowing them both to steer temporarily as she pointed them in the right direction out in the open ocean. There was no land around them for miles now, as the very faint sight of the Brazilian coast was almost out of sight. It would be a little time before they arrived at their destination, but Esme knew they'd be there before she knew it.

When Rosalie took the wheel back, Esme stood up and volunteered to give her daughter a rest, "I'll drive it," she said with a smile.

Rosalie put a hand on her stomach, "It's almost that time I think."

She nodded, "I was just thinking the same thing."

Both of them looked a combination of happy and anxious.

"What are you going to name your baby?" Madison asked with a smile.

"Alexandra," William answered before either of them could.

Madison smiled at William, then turned her focus to Esme, "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you," Esme said.

"And her middle name is going to be Rose," Rosalie gushed.

"Like you?" Madison asked.

"Mmm-hmm," she said, looking at Esme, glad to see her mother with a smile on her face. She wanted to ask the status of the rest of the family, but decided to wait in order to keep Esme's mind at ease for the time being.

William removed a yo-yo from his pocket and began playing with it before letting his arm and head drape over the side of the boat. Wind rushed through his hair, leaving it temporarily stuck up by the time the island came into view. He hadn't moved much from the position in at least a half hour and Rosalie smiled as their trip came to an end.

"Like the feel of the wind, huh Will?"

He smiled and nodded, "It feels goooood."

Rosalie laughed and wrapped her arms around her son, kissing the top of his head and attempting to straiten out his new hair-do. He fished quickly through one of their bags and threw on his Mariners hat sideways.

"He looks like Emmett right now, doesn't he?" Esme asked with a smile.

They both looked on as he removed most of the bags and threw them on the dock. "He does," Rosalie smiled, "A lot actually."

"I know."

Madison was quickly at his heels as William leapt onto the dock. "I'll help you carry those," she offered.

"I got 'em," he insisted.

"I don't mind," she reached for one of the bags at the same time as he did, as they were about to compete over who got it first. When their hands touched, William pulled back with a yelp. "Ow!" He screamed.

Rosalie and Esme both looked up, a little startled by his cry.

"What happened?" Rosalie asked.

Madison giggled, "I didn't mean to do that."

William stared at her with angry eyes and rubbed his hand. "You electrocuted me."

Rosalie and Esme looked at each other, slightly in awe. They had both been unaware that Madison had inherited a gift from her mother.

"Have you ever done that before?" Rosalie asked.

Madison shook her head, "No. Not really."

"Well don't do it again," William told her firmly.

Esme put a hand over her mouth to hide a smile as Madison rolled her eyes at his demand.

"Sometimes I can feel it if I get mad or something," she went on, "I didn't mean to do that." She looked at William, "I'm sorry."

"It's not okay," he told her.

"William," Rosalie said with a hard, motherly expression, "Stop it."

"She shocked me," he repeated.

"She didn't mean it."

Rosalie put an arm around each of their shoulders and shook her head at Esme, who was still trying not to laugh at their little spat.

"Like an old married couple already, I tell ya," Rosalie said.

Esme nodded in agreeance and William shook his head in protest. He grabbed all of the bags himself, looking at Madison in the eyes as he did before they made their way toward the house.


	54. This Is War

**Chapter 54**

Masen had perched himself in behind the cover of a high rock surface that overlooked the massive body of water that made up Lake Superior. His hideaway almost appeared as a shallow cave that had been carved specifically for him. He sat alone, trying to expand his senses so he could be well aware of everything that would soon take place closeby.

The rest of them made their way toward Olivia's camp. The are looked like a combination of an abandoned camp ground and an army base. There were small green cabins scattered about and talking could be heard all over the grounds. Luciana's ability to mask everyone's scent gave them all a unique advantage. Because of this, the wolves sat back and waited, knowing their enemies would be able to sense them coming.

Aro lead the way with Alec close by. They approached a small cabin that was filled with the voices and laughter, completely unaware of the danger that lurked only several feet away. Jane sat back upon her leader's request. The reaction these vampires would have from her instantaneous pain would prove to be too loud. Alec's ability was just as effective and much quieter. The Volturi were sure they would have the power to take out a good number of the army before coming face to face with Olivia and perhaps her top men.

Alec let the vapors in his hands drift away through the open windows, silencing the carefree attitudes of the strangers inside. He then made his way inside at Aro's nod, as Caius followed closeby. He smiled, thoroughly enjoying this part of his role in their plan.

Everyone else waited on to see if phase one would prove to be sucessful. When Caius and Alec returned, they carried the heads of their victims and handed them to an uneasy Renesme, who gave her parents a look of disgust.

"Come on," Bella whispered. She took her daughter into the woods to meet the wolves to start a fire in a disclosed area that would not be visible to the camp.

Aro looked to Alice, who nodded as if to tell him that they were safe to move on. They made their way to another cabin, repeating the pattern again, this time handing the miscellaneous heads to Edward and Tanya. They both seemed to handle it better than Renesme. When they continued on their journey, Caius immediatey signaled for them to leave the area to burn the heads in the fire where Renesme and Bella ran off to.

They didn't care to argue and did as he demanded. The pattern proved to be sucessful with everyone taking turns disposing of the heads in cycles. When Bella and Renesme returned, they were given new body parts before heading back into the woods.

Carlisle grimaced as more and more carnage passed by, though knew eventually this would lead to the end of the mission. He hoped it would continue to pan out this easily.

There was lots of chatter as they approached the main building, one that Michael had described. They now knew the numbers were still high, despite having already killed off a good number of vampires. A female voice rang through the night and seemed to echo in the darkness.

"Tomorrow, we march!" she shouted. An enthusiastic outcry followed and Caius smiled arrogantly at their group. He was fully in his element to the core.

Aro noticed a few red containers to the left of where they all stood. From the smell of it, he could tell it was filled with gasoline. Immediately he sensed that Jane, Marcus and Caius were all on the same page. They made their way to the flammable liquid and walked toward the main building.

Jasper tried to whisper in protest, but the Volturi members continued their march with Luciana close behind at Aro's adament demand. She looked over her shoulder at the Cullens, apparently torn between the two parties.

Carlisle looked at Jasper, not wanting to speak so he wouldn't alert Olivia's clan inside. Jasper looked back at him and shook his head, and Alice looked a little worried. They all knew this was a spontaneous move by the sight of the gasoline cans.

Before them, Caius, Alec and Jane quickly disposed of the liquid in circles before leaving a trail right up to where the rest of them stood. Minutes later, as they all now huddled together as one again, the fire was lit and a stream of orange and yellow illuminated the night sky and plagued the barn-like structure.

Aro looked on with a smile as the flames danced and grew, shooting up the outer walls like perfectly planned nightmare. The orange glow on his face made him appear ghostly and wicked. Carlisle looked over at him, though he did not return the stare. He continued to look on as if he were watching a Broadway show.

Bodies paraded out the windows. Some cries were of pain and frantic panic. Others, who were more fortunate, seemed alert and angry. Edward could hear the thoughts of the increasingly deceased dying off as they quickly became ash in the fire.

Michael stood beside Carlisle and pointed as Olivia swooped out one of the windows. "That's Olivia," he shouted above the madness.

Carlisle looked on, watching the Hell's angel of a woman parade fiercely in their direction. Her combat boots and uniform were fully intact, as were the men who stood behind her. A tall dark skin warrior at her side snapped his hand to the sky, sending a lightening bolt into the air, striking the very top of a tall pine tree. A crack of thunder followed and rain began to pour in buckets down on them. It did little to stop the fire, though the previously quiet camp ground became an instant picture of what anyone could imagine a dark, sinful afterlife would be like.

Caius looked at Jane and nodded with a smile as she put the man to his knees with the proper use of her infamous, unforgiving gift. He began to writhe in pain, sending Olivia into an aggrivated frenzy. She looked back and forth between Carlisle and Aro, unsure of who to attack first. Both of them looked ready in different ways.

Bella signaled for Renesme to go back toward the fire they'd set in the woods upon hearing Jacob's growls from the bushes nearby. Moments later, his pack charged from the darkness and leapt over the Volturi members in the front line to attack the army members who remained standing.

Olivia easily sidestepped Seth's initial attack, sending him flailing to the ground in the middle of her men. She headed in Carlisle's direction, though stopped for a brief second, noticing Michael for the first time since they'd arrived. Her face twisted in anger and she resumed her charge in their direction.

Carlisle knocked Michael out of the way and took Olivia's first blow, though he quickly got up and pushed her away hard. Her body crashed into a tree, cracking it in half, sending the top half into the fire that continued to spread.

Edward headed in their direction to intervene, though was taken down mid run by one of her men. The man with the lightening bolts was slowly being taken apart by Demetri and Felix before they tossed his remains into the fire.

Olivia continued to square off with Carlisle, and everyone else was equally as occupied in their own little battles.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Carlisle said aloud, "It never had to."

"You made it so I had nothing left to lose," she hissed back coldly, "It shouldn't have had to be this way."

"You sent Nicholas after us. We never would have attacked otherwise."

The sound of his name seemed to flip an even deadlier switch in her mind as the two of them danced in their fight dangerously close to the growing flames. Michael temporarily wriggled out of the grasp of one of his former linesmen to knock Olivia away from Carlisle.

"Traitor!" she screamed, before kicking him to the side. His body sailed far away from them and he cried out in pain.

It became hard to tell who was where. The fires were too scattered and the fallen tree had started an enormous wall of flames. Only the outlines of figures could be seen running about wildly, throwing punches and tearing limbs.

Alice and Jasper went streaming by, holding someone's body. Carlisle couldn't tell if they were running to Masen for repairs, or going to burn the particular remains somewhere else. He guessed it was someone from their side, though tried not to think of it.

Olivia was persistant and continued her struggle against him. Her enthusiasm and prepardness for the fight provided a challenge. She was determined, unafraid and had nothing to lose, which made her all the more dangerous. They made their way farther and farther from the flames, which Carlisle didn't mind. He didn't want to lose his footing or have a momentary lapse that would cost him his life because he was too close.

"Aro will be next," she snorted. Pain lingered in her voice, and there was a part that lingered deep down in Carlisle's chest which actually felt bad for Olivia. He knew she had experienced great loss and was acting solely on reckless emotion. It was a lethal combination and he secretly wished she could be swayed into a conversation, though realistically he knew this would never happen. Things had already progressed too far.

She broke apart from his grasp and stared at him like a boxer in ring. Carlisle looked over his shoulder and noticed he was dangerously close to the edge of a cliff that dropped over a hundred feet into the lake. He wasn't sure how close to Masen he was, losing sight of his whereabouts in the scuffle.

"Olivia-" he started.

Her eyes burned like two red scopes on a gun. Her aim could not be mistaken. She didn't care what happened to herself and charged full speed at him, noticing Edward coming in from the side with one of her soldiers at his heels.

"Olivia, don't!" He screamed, knowing it would do no good.

Carlisle caught sight of him as Olivia's shoulder plunged into his abdomen, sending them both over the edge toward the icy water below.


	55. Big Day

**Chapter 55**

Esme sat on a blanket by the water watching the children swim. There wasn't much danger, but she felt like it was completely necessary to keep an eye on them. Rosalie had gone to hunt about twenty minutes before and was likely to return soon.

Splashing and laughter echoed through the atmosphere as a tennis ball whipped through the air over the ocean water. Esme smiled at their competitive remarks back and forth before the ball landed in her direction, rolling through the sand.

"That one was for you!" William called with a laugh.

Esme stood up with a smile and tossed the ball back so they could continue playing. She sat back down and decided to skim through a book she'd seen Rosalie reading on the plane. A small beach bag sat on the end of the blanket and she had seen the top corner of the book when Rosalie set it down earlier.

Her hand ruffled through the odds and ends that were piled in the bag in no particular order and she glanced down at the sight of her name written in black ink perfecly centered in the middle of a white envelope. Esme stared at it curiously and carefully lifted the envelope out of the bag, revealing the second one below it with Masen's name.

She looked around before tearing the outer layer apart. She flipped open the folded paper inside and began to read it to herself.

Esme,

I wrote this letter with a heavy heart and I hope you receive it only if absolutely necessary. If this is my final notice to you, I'd like to express how undying and unchanging my love has been for you for nearly one hundred years. There was never another before, and certainly not after, seeing your beautiful face for the first time. You have been my one and only in all of my years here, mortal and immortal. If you are reading this, I greatly apologize to you for breaking my promise. I told you I would never leave you, and that I would never cause you pain. I'm sorry and if I were still here it would be my biggest regret. You've never caused me pain, only an immense amount of joy that no words could ever justify properly. Nothing I can write here on paper could ever truly do justice to the way my heart has felt and I suppose metaphorically beated for you. You are the reason I've managed to go on for a long as I have. For years I silently mourned the fact that you would never be able to have another child, as you did while you were still human. I apologize again for bringing up such a touching, emotional memory. My greatest accomplishment in life, aside from being privelaged enough to spend every waking hour at your side, was being able to aid in the process in giving you two children. Make them your world, and make sure Alexandra knows that true love does exist. Tell her how we met, how we fell in love. Tell her everything and don't let her settle for less than what she deserves. Above all else, I want her to have faith in love and all things that are good. Masen has already experienced this, and I'm certain he will be a big brother comparable to no other in this world. Most of all, I need you to know that I did everything in my power to protect you and love you in ways I can't even begin to describe. You will be strong and make it in this life with the love of those around you. I pray one day that you will find love again and move forward in that aspect of your life... even if it is decades from now. Know that I loved you more each time I saw you and that you were my dream come true. I love you Esme, and I am so sorry to break my promise.

Love,

Carlisle

Esme stared down at the words on the sheet of paper and felt completely numb. The rest of the world around her was suddenly a complete blur and she almost felt like she could pass out. She put a hand on her stomach and tried to do as Carlisle suggested, turning to Alexandra to ease her mind. Though her baby moved slightly, she could not stop repeating the words from his letter in her head. The words '_if I were still here_' stood out in her mind. She didn't know how to function without him.

Rosalie returned and immediately saw Esme stand with the letter in her hand. Her expression immediately changed and she ran over to where her mother stood.

"Esme," she said, "You weren't suppose to read that."

She couldn't find any words to communicate. She began to wonder if she'd forgotten the English language all together. Her mind and body were locked in a state of shock.

"Carlisle wrote it just in case... he didn't really think anything was going to happen.. he just.." She tried to complete sentence that would provide some sense of comfort or make at least a little sense. Rosalie found herself unable to to either.

William called out to his mother, asking her to come join them in the water. To Esme, his voice sounded like it was miles and miles away. Rosalie responded with a quick, "In a minute honey," before continuing to try reasoning with Esme.

"This is a goodbye letter," Esme said finally. She tilted her head downward to look at it.

"Carlisle was going to burn it when he got here before you read it. I - I'm sorry. You weren't meant to read it... yet."

She couldn't even find it in her to cry. Esme's world seemed to just go black and she stood almost frozen in the sand until until a fierce pain shot through her body. She cringed and grabbed her stomach.

"Oh my God," Rosalie said in a panic, "William! Maddy! Get in here. Get out of the water."

The tone of her voice sent them sailing for shore.

"Why- what...?" William started.

"Just get inside. Get as many pillows and towels as you can find. Hurry."

They looked at each other and did as she asked. Rosalie laid Esme down on the blanket and moved everything else to the sides.

"It's okay," she assured her.

Another look of pain crossed Esme's face and she grabbed tightly onto Rosalie's wrist. "Sorry," she said to her daughter.

"It's fine," Rosalie said frantically. Alexandra was about to come into the world.


	56. Goodbye Superior

**Chapter 56**

Aro, Caius and Marcus walked up to Edward at the brim of the rockface. He stood with several dead members of Olivia's army at his feet. Bella and Renesme quickly joined them with sticks of fire. Jacob trotted close behind calmly as they proceeded to burn the remains of Edward's victims.

"Our jobs are through here," Caius informed them.

"What about Olivia?" Edward asked. He'd been sideswiped by two soldiers and had lost track of Carlisle and the ungodly woman as they went over the edge of the cliff.

"She's dead and gone, is she not?" Caius asked.

"Is Carlisle over there?" Bella asked them, "Where you just came from?"

Marcus shook his head slowly.

Edward looked at Bella, then back to the three Volturi members, They knew he was concerned for his father's whereabouts but they didn't seem to care much. Luciana and Seth quickly joined the group together. Caius made a face as she leapt off of his back.

Aro hugged his daughter tightly, "We have to go," he told her, "All of us, before the humans arrive with their fire trucks and their S.W.A.T. teams or whoever..."

"I love you Dad," she whispered to him, "I'm going to visit again soon."

"I love you Luciana," he said sincerely, "Come any time. I would like our departure to not be so rushed but we must leave."

"I know," she said, still hugging him.

They parted and Aro looked to Edward, "They're all gone. Not one is left."

Emmett quickly headed toward them with Leah and the Denalis, "Coast is clear," he huffed.

"No thanks to you much," Caius remarked. Emmett held is tounge and decided not fight back. He was too happy that they were alive.

"We must be going. I suggest you do the same." Aro instructed. He rounded up the rest of the Volturi and they were off and quickly as they'd come in.

"Have you seen Carlisle?" Edward asked Emmett.

He shook his head, "No. Is he with Masen?"

"I don't know. Maybe. What about Jasper and Alice?"

"We passed them," Seth said before Luciana piggybacked on his sentence, "They said they'd meet us down at the island if we didn't all get out at the same time."

Edward and Bella looked at each other. The remaining members of the pack made their way into the clearing. "Let's get over to Masen," he said.

They moved together, looking back at the path of destruction they'd left behind. The fires rose and began to spread. Clouds of smoke filled the air and drifted upward toward the heavens. A light rain continued to fall on them.

"Masen!" Edward called, running up the side of the rock where they'd left him, "Masen!"

Masen ran out of his hiding spot to meet Edward, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm right here." Michael was by his side and everyone assumed he had just been patched up from the look on his face.

"Is your dad here?"

"No," he shook his head, "Where is he?"

"We don't know. Alice or Jasper?"

"They were here before with Alec. He needed a... repair. But I haven't seen them in awhile."

"We need to get out of here," Tanya said, staring over at the fire.

"We can't leave without them." Edward insisted.

"She said Jasper and Alice said to meet at the island."

Everyone exchanged glances and Edward peered down into the somewhat calm lake water. "Carlisle!" he bellowed. Masen joined in and they waited for ten minutes or so before deciding they had to move on from the area.

"We can't leave," Edward continued to say.

"I don't think the three of them are here," Carmen said, "They had to have started making their way out."

Edward tried a final time to shout his father's name, then Jasper and Alice's a few times before he very reluctantly joined the rest of them on the hike out of the growing forrest fire.

They marched on for miles, trying travel along the coast of the lake as they did. Bella felt her heart melting away at Edward and Masen's desperate cries for their father.

"He went over the side of the cliff with Olivia," Edward said aloud.

"What!?" Masen asked, "When?"

"Before.. some time.. there's no way she'd be able to take him."

"Do you think they'd be at the cars?" Eleazar asked, "Maybe some of us should make our way in that direction."

"Good idea," Emmett said.

"We'll go," Garrett told them, "And we'll meet you down on Isle Esme."

Edward and Garrett shook hands before they all parted ways with lots of "good lucks".

"Call us if you find them!" Emmett shouted into the darkness.

"We will!" Garrett called back, "Tell Maddy we're okay if you beat us down there!"

The Denali clan was gone, heading back to the commuter lot where they'd left their vehicles. It would be some time before they arrived and all of them hoped that they'd either cross paths with Carlisle, Jasper and Alice, or that the cars would be missing, indicating they'd be there.

"Edward, do you think he's dead?" Masen asked, "At least Alice and Jasper made a plan with Lucy and Seth. No one even knows where he is. He was with Olivia. She wanted to kill him."

"We'll find them all," Edward told him, "No, I don't think he's dead."

Bella looked over at her worried daughter and gave her a hug when they stopped briefly to shout of their missing family members names. Jacob nuzzled into the side of her face, brushing her fur up against her. She snuggled into his warmth and wrapped an arm around his neck. "I love you Jacob," Renesme told him. He licked her face before they continued heading south.

Leah clung to Masen's side. She'd phased back and wrapped herself in the clothes she'd purposely slipped out of before phasing in the woods prior to the fight. She entwined her hand with his and wiped a tear away that fell from his eye. "He's okay," she assured him, kissing his cheek.

Masen shook his head, "I don't know."

"I know he is."

Masen knew she was trying to help ease his mind and leaned in to kiss her for trying. Her words, however, didn't have as strong of a pull on his mind. He feared the worst, knowing had his father been nearby he would have surely responded to their cries.

The march out became more and more dreadful with each step and before they knew it, they had walked all the way down through the midwestern portion of the United States. Lake Superior and all that entailed of their battle was now a daunting memory. It was difficult to travel in the sunlight hours, so at times they were forced to stop. There had been only one call from the Denalis, and that was to say that all of their cars were still where they had left them. There had been no sign of Carlisle, Jasper or Alice.

"I bet you they're already down on the island," Seth said.

"Why wouldn't they call?" Emmett asked.

"If Carlisle fell into the water, I doubt his phone is working."

Emmett nodded in agreeance, thinking what he said made sense.

"What about Jasper and Alice?" Bella asked.

"Same thing," Seth said, "Who knows where their phones ended up."

"Should we call Esme?" Edward asked.

"I left a message with Rose. She didn't pick up," Emmett told them, "But all I said is that we were on our way back and got split up."

Dusk was approaching and Edward took it upon himself to take the leadership role in the group, calling the shots. "It's time. We have to move now. We can get though Texas easily by ten o'clock. The rest is a breeze."

Bella looked into her husband's worried eyes and wished she could read his mind. They continued on their journey and passed through the Texas line well before nine. They had no intentions of stopping until they reached the island together. Everyone hoped that the rest of them would be there waiting happily to greet them.


	57. Arrivals

**Chapter 57**

Esme laid in a bed of pillows and blankets with Alexandra in her arms. Rosalie had helped her to a more comfortable location and continually made sure she was fine. A bittersweet smile lingered on Esme's face as she stared down at her golden eyed daughter. She was just as beautiful as Masen was when he shared his first moments with her.

William and Madison frequented Esme's side and spoke in loving, baby voices to the newborn, occasionally stroking the top of her nearly bald head or placing a light finger on her nose.

"I'll go hunt something down for her," Rosalie volunteered, removing two baby bottles from a neatly packed pink bag.

"Can I go?" William asked, "Please?"

Rosalie thought for a moment before she nodded, "Okay. Take Maddy too. And if I hear there was any arguing, I'll go myself next time. Each of you can fill a bottle."

They looked at each other and were out of the house in flash with the empty bottles in tact.

"She's beautiful," Rosalie told her mother, sitting beside her.

Esme smiled up at Rose, "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me that you've been here through all of this. I owe you so much Rosalie."

Rosalie hugged her tightly and Esme could tell she was dying to hold Alexandra. She lifted her carefully into the air, perching her in Rosalie's arms.

"Hello," she said, nearly touching her nose to the baby's, "Welcome to the family Alexandra Rose."

Esme smiled and fiddled with her necklace as she looked on. Rosalie's phone beeped quietly and she looked across the room toward a small end table. She headed for it with Alexandra still tucked neatly in the crease of her arm and pushed the number one, sending her phone strait to voicemail.

"Message?" Esme asked eagerly.

Rosalie nodded and continued to listen, "It's from Emmett," her face glowed with relief, "They're on their way back, but they got split up."

"Is everyone alright?"

Rosalie's eyes moved back and forth quickly before she chose to save the message and disconnected, "He just said they were coming down here, but everyone was split up."

Esme looked worried, "He didn't specify who was where?"

She shook her head, "It was a quick message. Let me call him back." Her fingers began to scroll through her recent calls before her nose turned upward toward the sky. She inhaled a long, deep breath through her nose.

"What is it?" Esme asked.

"Emmett's close. I can sense him. He must be away from the others if Luciana's with them because he's the only one I can sense."

Esme felt her entire body tense up, "Go look for them," she reached out for Alexandra.

Rosalie bolted out of the house to where her senses lead her, equally eager to see Emmett and Carlisle. She prayed that everyone was together and had found each other.

"Emmett!" she shouted, "Em!" Her feet felt like bricks, though she moved swiftly through trees and finally across the beach to where she saw her husband trudging out from the water. His white shirt clung to his muscular upper body and his shorts pressed to his thighs as he marched up to her barefoot through the last few yards of water.

"Rose..." his voice sounded weak and desperate as he reached her, wrapping his arms firmly around her before giving her a long kiss, "I love you."

She squeezed him tightly, "I love you. I love you so much Emmett. I... where's everyone?"

"Coming... well most of us." He peppered her face with kisses before seating himself in the sand where the waves broke, letting the water lapse onto his body.

Rosalie joined him, never letting her hands leave his body. She left an arm draped around his lower back, "Most of us?"

"We got split up," he explained, "Carlisle, Jasper and Alice aren't here, are they?"

She shook her head, feeling a knot in the pit of her stomach, "No. Are they alright?"

"There was a huge spreading forrest fire. We all went in different directions. Everyone else is makin their way through the water now to get here. I decided to speed up and get here first to see you guys. But last we saw was Carlisle and Olivia go over a huge cliff into the water, and Seth said he saw Alice and Jasper a little before we took off. The Denalis went back to the cars to see if the three of them had been there, but didn't find them. Have the Denalis arrived?"

"No," Rosalie repeated, "So.. no one knows where they are? Do you think they're okay?"

"I don't know. I hope so. Seth seemed to think Alice and Jasper were. They said they'd meet us down here."

"What about Carlisle?"

"I haven't seen him since the very start of the fight," he admitted, "Edward said he saw Olivia knock the two of them into the water. He got ambushed by a couple people and couldn't follow them. We haven't been able to locate him yet."

"We can't tell Esme that," Rosalie whispered.

Emmett cocked an ear to see if he could sense if his mother could hear their conversation, "Did she have the baby?"

Rosalie nodded, "Yes. She's beautiful. William and Maddy are out hunting for her."

"I can't wait to see my little man. And Garrett and Kate are okay. They should be here soon."

A light breeze flew over the island as the sun began to creep toward the horizon. Emmett put an arm around Rosalie and leaned up against her, "I don't know what to tell Es."

"Me either." She stood up, pulling Emmett to his feet, "Want to come meet Alexandra?"

He nodded, "What do I say if she asks?"

"That everyone's split up but you're pretty sure they're all meeting here."

"Alright," he linked his hand with hers and the two of them walked into the house. A smile spread across Esme's face as she saw Emmett and reached her arms out to hug him. He leaned down onto the bed and hugged his mother.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she cupped his face and kissed him on the cheek, "Is everyone else..."

"We got split up a little bit, but the plan was to meet down here." His eyes drifted to the baby in her arms, "And this must be Alex." He reached his arms out and Esme handed her over.

Rosalie put a head on Emmett's shoulder as he embraced the newest addition to their family. Esme couldn't help but smile.

William and Maddy paraded into the house with the full baby bottles.

"Dad!" William shrieked happily. He sprinted over and was about to hug him but stopped because of Alexandra.

Emmett put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. William hugged him hard, squeezing around his chest. Maddy smiled but looked worried.

"Your parents are fine," Emmett assured her, " They're on their way down."

Moments later, Edward, Bella, Renesme, Masen and the rest of them paraded through the open door, all soaked from head to toe. There was still no sign of Alice, Jasper or Carlisle.

"Mom," Masen said in an exhausted tone. He went over to his mother and hugged her, letting a hand linger on her upper back. Any leftover pains she was experiencing from the delivery had diminished and she felt fully herself again.

Everyone greeted Esme and Rosalie, taking turns passing around Alexandra. Esme took Masen's face in her hands and kissed his nose and cheek. "I'm so happy to see you," she told him, pulling him into another long hug, "I love you so much Masen."

"I love you too," he told her through teary eyes.

Edward came over with his baby sister and lifted her tiny body into Masen's arms. They both smiled and Masen looked back at his mother as a few more tears slid down his face.

There was something unsettling in the room despite the overwhelming happiness of their reunited group and welcoming of Alexandra into the world. Esme picked up on the feeling the most from Masen and Edward. She looked back and forth from one to the other before she saw them exchange a glance. Their eyes made her anxious.

"Where's your father?" she asked them both, " And Jasper and Alice?"

No one said anything. A silence fell over the group. Edward and Masen continued to share glances.

"Well..." Edward started, "Seth and Lucy passed Jasper and Alice in the scuffle and they said they'd meet us down here."

Esme nodded nervously and waited for him to continue. Her gaze was locked on Edward's.

"I'm... well.." he didn't know what the best way to say it was, "I'm not sure where Carlisle ended up. There was a big fire and we all had to get out fast. That's how we got split up." He could see his mother clenching her teeth in an attempt not to cry.

"He was fighting with Olivia," Edward went on, "They weren't caught in the fire because they fell down into the lake. That was the last time I saw him."

"We tried calling out for him," Emmett told her, "We went along the side of the lake for as long as we could but the fire was out of control."

Esme looked at Masen, "Can you stay with Alexandra for a little while?"

He nodded, letting his eyes fill up with tears again.

" I'll be back in a little while." Esme got up and walked past everyone, keeping her voice as calm as ever. She wasn't sure where she was walking to, but knew she needed a minute to herself to process the information she'd been given.


	58. When Angels Cry

**Hey all... thanks for the reviews... sorry if I haven't gotten back to the guest members! I have yet to decide about William and whether or not he'll have a gift.. **

**p.s. - this is NOT the last chapter ... still a little more to come :)**

* * *

**Chapter 58**

Esme wandered through the trees until she found herself on top of what seemed to be the highest point of Isle Esme. The view was beautiful. It overlooked the open ocean and she could see everything for miles. The last standing rays of sun of the day's conclusion danced over her sparkling skin, though she knew it would likely only last a few more minutes.

She could see the house from where she stood and suddenly found herself begin to ball. It was an emotion that became a regularity in the recent weeks past and she hated the feeling. All at once she felt selfish, sad, happy, relieved, anxious... Her thoughts drifted to Alexandra and thought how impossible it was to leave Masen's side during his first moments on Earth. Esme felt like she was somehow cheating her daughter of uninterrupted time together.

Her tears continued to fall, making her view of paradise blurry. Droplets decorated the blue buttondown shirt she'd thrown on that she had originally packed for Carlisle. All week she had made it a point to wear his clothes, engulfing herself with the scent of the man she loved so dearly. It was baggy on her small frame and hung just above the line of her khaki shorts. This particular shirt was her favorite because it made her husband's eyes beam. The image of him tormented her mind as she struggled to keep her composure.

She lifted the front of the shirt to her face and longed for his presence. The strength of his scent drifted through her nose and she looked around to see if by some miracle he would be standing behind her. To her displeasure, she was still alone on top of the tall rock as the sky began it's transformation into dark blues and purples.

Esme through her hands over her eyes to think. She had to contemplate what she would do with herself each day if Carlisle didn't return. Alexandra would keep her occupied for sure, especially in her earliest days, but soon she would grow up and Esme would be left alone. Though the love of her children would never die, they would break away from the comfort she would provide as a mother to be independant. Masen had already gone down that road and, unfortunately, her daughter would follow that path shortly.

The feeling was overwhelming and she could not think of it. There was no one else in the universe that she could ever be with besides Carlisle. It didn't matter if a day passed, a decade or a thousand years - he was the only one she could love in this way. The words from his letter stung her entire body, thinking of the part when he said she would find love again. Esme knew this was impossible. The thought of her holding another man's hand, laying cuddled up under the blankets with someone else, laughing and hunting without him... it was a nightmare. It was unbearable to think of.

Esme cried and cried until she felt like she would collapse. She had to know the truth...

Her sobs could be heard throughout the island, overpowering the chirping summer bugs, crashing waves and birds speaking their language to one another. His bare feet traveled effortlessly across the the forest floor until they reached the rock surface where it looked as though an angel weeped. The image was excruciating, and he thought to himself that an angel should never feel the need to cry.

Wind blew hard across the land, sending miscellaneous pieces of nature scattering in all directions. There was just enough light left in the evening sky to project her image clearly. The extra large shirt that whipped wildly in the wind seemed to fit her perfectly from where he stood. Her hair quietly sung to his senses and blew her scent directly into his face. There was nothing quite like it in the world. To him, this was heaven. He continued on in her direction, suddenly called out of his seemingly drug enduced daze at the sight of her. The sound of her anguish made him rush so he was only inches from her, while she remained oblivious to his presence.

Esme soaked in the night air again, hoping the calm island breeze could help her to control herself so she could get back to her daughter, and the rest of the family. Carlisle's scent was all around her and for a moment she thought she felt his fingers trace her shoulders. She'd been daydreaming of him since she'd isolated herself from the rest of the family and a lump developed in her throat when the feeling of him didn't go away.

"Esme," his voice came, ringing in her ear like the word of God. It was the greatest sound she had ever heard and fear entered her heart at the thought that it could be some sort of mirage.

She turned slowly, now fully feeling his hands on her as she twisted to face him. He ran a hand along her face and looked at her in the eyes with a soft half smile.

Esme moved her hands up to his face, then ran her hands along every part of his body to make sure he was really there. She hadn't found it in her to speak until he placed his face against the side of hers, pushing his nose gently into her cheek. "C-Carlisle..."

He slid one arm around her lower back and pulled her to him, leaving the other tenderly by the side of her face. She pulled him close, still in a state of shock and linked onto him with a sort of desperation she didn't know existed until that moment. She cried onto his shoulder uncontrollably and didn't let go until it sunk into her brain that she was hurting him from the force of her embrace.

Esme found the strength inside to pull away from him momentarily. He looked like a ship wreck victim, she thought. His khaki pants were cuffed around his calves and drooped heavily at the waist, revealing the top of navy blue boxer briefs that stuck to him from the ocean water. His shirt was long gone and his hair looked tossed and turned from the waves and wind she was sure he had to swim through to get there. In other words, he looked absolutely beautiful.

"Esme, I'm so sorry I did this to you." His voice cracked and he spoke in a low, gruff voice.

She continued to cry with a genuine smile and leapt up into his arms, finally coming back to life as she kissed him. Her hand pulled on his salty hair and she collapsed her head onto his bare shoulder, not wanting to waste a second of their time. She felt as though she needed to keep her hands on him so he wouldn't disappear. Esme felt like she could never let him out of her sight again.

Carlisle's hands slid up the back of her shirt so he could remember exactly what it felt like to feel her skin against his. He didn't know how long the two of them had been up on the rock with each other, but he didn't want to ever leave. He grabbed her face and pulled her mouth back to his, pressing his eyes shut with a rush of intensity. He felt completely high in her arms and longed for this moment since they'd been separated.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Esme said, brushing his hair in all directions with her hand.

He shook his head, "I'm so sorry."

"I read your letter," she sobbed, "I-

"I only wrote that-"

Esme kissed him again, "It doesn't matter. I just can't believe your here. Everyone was so worried about you..." her thoughts drifted and she suddenly felt guilty, "Where are Alice and Jasper?"

Carlisle stroked her face with his hand, "They're down at the house. I knew you were up here upset. Alice told me so I came here first."

She squeezed him tightly, finding herself relieved from all angles. Their family was all intact - all okay. They were together.

"We have to go back to the house," she told him, "There's someone you have to meet."


	59. A Complete Family

**Chapter 59**

Carlisle and Esme walked down, hand in hand, to where the rest of their family waited. Emmett and William tossed a ball back and forth, and the Denalis had arrived shortly before. Madison was showing her parents that she had discovered her electric powers and laughed as Garrett let her shock him.

Edward and Alice saw the two of them coming first and smiled. Edward tapped Masen's shoulder as he cradled Alexandra with Leah at his side. They both turned and smiled as Carlisle's eyes drifted to the baby in his son's arms. She barely moved, though her eyes looked around taking in everything around her.

Carlisle approached Masen, who immediately lead the baby to his welcoming arms. Esme leaned into his side and caressed Alexandra's foot with her hand. She smiled at Carlisle's interaction with their daughter for the first time.

He stared down into the beautiful golden orbs that made up her eyes. She matched his stare, keeping her arms tucked in by her face. Carlisle smiled and let a little chuckle escape his mouth from the happiness she provided him.

"Isn't she beautiful," Esme asked. Happy tears filled her eyes.

Carlisle nodded, "She's perfect." He allowed her to grip onto his fingers and laughed again as her tiny hand kept his in place by her chin.

Emmett whistled as everyone made their way closer, "Look at that sexy shirtless DILF!" he called.

Garrett and Masen looked over and laughed. Esme shook her head, noticing William's confused expression.

"I'm sorry we left Carlisle," Edward finally said, "We looked for you everywhere."

He momentarily looked up from his daughter, a bit unwillingly, "Olivia knocked as pretty far out. I didn't know exactly where I even was geographically. Alice and Jasper eventually found me because Alice could describe where I was," he chuckled, "I started going in the completely wrong direction once I hit land."

"What happened to Olivia?" Rosalie asked.

Carlisle shrugged, "One of her limbs came off in the struggle but we got separated. I don't know." He looked over at Alice.

"I haven't been focusing on her because of everything that's happened. I do think she's alive."

"She'll never be able to pull something off to that magnitude again," Carlisle said. He looked reassuringly at Esme, who had a hint of fear in her eyes, "This will never happen again." He kissed her forehead and pulled her in even closer to him and Alexandra.

Masen smiled at them and felt Leah's hand tighten around his.

"Thanks for everyone's help," Carlisle said genuinely, "And Lucy, please send the same regard to your father and the rest of his coven. Without them, this never would have panned out so easily."

She nodded with a smile, "I will."

"Even Caius," Emmett joked.

Luciana snickered and leaned her head on Seth's bare shoulder.

Jacob looked at Edward, who he saw had been staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"Thanks for protecting our daughter."

Jacob nodded back with a closed mouth grin. Renesme smiled at her parents, then at Jacob.

"Congratulations Carlisle," Edward said, "And Esme."

They both smiled at their son. "I did all the work," she joked, feeling lighthearted for the first time in awhile.

"Yeah, her name should have been first Edward," Rosalie said with a grin. She nudged Carlisle in the ribs a little extra hard and he winced with a smile.

Masen walked over and hugged his father, being careful not to bump Alexandra, "I'm glad you're okay. I started to think the worst."

Carlisle hugged him back with his free arm, "I'm sorry everything had to happen the way it did. I'm glad you're okay Mase. I'm glad the two of you looked out for each other." He looked back and forth from his son to Leah.

They looked at each other with adoring eyes. Leah turned to them, "I'm glad you're both okay. You're like second parents to me."

"We're glad you're okay Leah," Esme told her.

"You're our family," Carlisle told her.

The sound of that made Leah smile and she tried to hide how happy it actually made her.

Alexandra closed and opened her eyes, making baby noises to bring their attention back to her. Carlisle perched her on his chest and held her close to him, looking down at her tiny hand that laid still on his skin.

A flash caused him to look up and Alice stood with a smile holding her camera, "First daddy daughter pic." She smiled, "And I have to take a bunch to catch up to the ones Rosalie took of Esme and Alexandra. Actually Esme, take her from him so I can get another one."

"Do as she says," Jasper told them with a smile, "Or she won't let it go."

They smiled and Carlisle handed their daughter to Esme so she could take the picture Alice had requested.

"Now both of you," she motioned for him to get back into view of the camera.

Carlisle didn't put up a fight and posed for a few more pictures before Alice was satisfied. She made her way to William, "Time for you and Maddy."

William made a face and reluctantly threw the ball in his hand back to Emmett, who encouraged his sister. Maddy smiled and skipped her way over to him. Just as Alice counted to three, Maddy planted her lips on William's cheek and the flash went off.

Everyone laughed at his shocked and somewhat disgusted expression. Jasper leaned over Alice's shoulder and began to crack up at the perfectly captured moment that lingered on the screen.

"I'd rather be shocked," William said aloud and looked at his father.

Emmett laughed and looked at Rosalie, then back to William, "You know you liked it. Stop pretending you didn't."

"No, I really didn't," he insisted.

The family's interaction had been so uplifting for everyone that no one had paid much attention to Michael, who leaned up against the side of the house under an outside light. He seemed fairly happy, though looked as though he wasn't a part of their group. Esme immediately walked over to him as she picked up on it and put an arm around his shoulders, "Michael, I'm sorry. No one has even-"

He put his hands up, "It's okay," he assured her with a smile, "I know everyone is happy to see each other. I'm fine."

Carlisle suddenly felt a little guilty and went over to shake his hand, "I never thanked you for helping me out with Olivia. You stuck your neck out for me."

"No problem," he said with a nod.

"And thank you for informing us about everything. Who knows what would have happened otherwise. We owe you our lives."

"I just wanted to do the right thing," Michael told him, "I couldn't stand who I was when I was with that group. I was actually a pretty good person I think."

"You're a great person," Esme told him, "And you're more than welcome to stay with us if you'd like."

Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"Thanks," he said.

Emmett went over toward the little basket of toys and sports equipment they had laying around and found a soccer ball. He tossed it over to Michael, "See how far you can kick that now Beckham. I know this vampire thing has it's ups and downs, but you'll love the effect it has on your athletic ability."

Michael grinned and began to juggle the ball, using his feet and thighs mostly before he cocked his leg back and blasted the ball as hard as he could with his foot. It sailed through the air at what he thought was impossible speed and watched as the outermost lair separated from the inside before it went out of view. The look on his face was priceless, "Wow. That's crazy."

"I know right," Emmett told him with a smile, "We have to teach you the American game next."

"Baseball," William said, pretending to swing.

Michael smiled, "I'll have to teach you my game, as well."

Carlisle leaned the side of his hip into Esme so she'd look at him. She turned and smiled as he whispered, "I love you," before leaning his face in toward hers for a kiss. She brought her lips to his, then smiled again as he kissed the top of Alexandra's head.

"I need to shower," he told her, "I feel... salty."

"Don't wake the dead this time," Emmett said, winking at him.

Carlisle shook his head and smiled, feeding into his joke, "I thought I was going to die, so..."

"You scarred Masen for life," Jasper said, "And I think we need a new pool table."

Masen made a face and turned to Leah, who laughed.

Carlisle went to walk inside but his son told him to wait. Masen looked around at everyone. No one knew what he was going to say.

Esme leaned her daughter up against her and looked at Carlisle with a confused expression. He shrugged and waited with the rest of them.

"Since we're all here and we've gone through so much," Masen said, "I, uh, think there'd be no better time..." His voice trailed off and he looked to his parents nervously, before looking at Leah. He got down on one knee, pulling out a small black box.

Her face was full of shock and she looked over toward Esme first, who looked just as shocked. Carlisle had switched his gaze to Esme, though she continued to stare at Masen.

"Leah... Will you..." he found himself to be more anxious than he anticipated, "Will you marry me?"


	60. To Happy Endings

**Chapter 60**

Leah felt like the rest of the world had stopped and Masen's voice penetrated her ears over and over like an echo. A defening silence fell over the group and she looked around as everyone waited for her response.

Masen held his ground with a knee in the sand and looked up at her with wondering, amber eyes. Her gaze fell to the overwhelming diamond that sat inside the box. She looked down at her finger, suddenly feeling unworthy of such a possession that meant so much.

Leah's mouth hung partially open and she could see that Masen's anxiety level was beginning to climb. Her heart thudded in her chest before she was unable to hold back a smile. There was never a time that she felt more girly in her life, as he hands instinctively pressed against her face and she felt herself nod."Yeah," she replied, "Yes, Masen. I'll marry you." Masen slowly pinned the ring on her finger.

Emmett started a series of cheers for the two of them, clapping loudly. The rest of them joined in momentarily, still a little surprised at his bold action.

Masen stood up from the ground and pulled Leah off of her feet into the air in a big hug and kissed her five or six times in a row. She hugged him hard before looking in in the eyes, "Really?"

He laughed, softly at first and then harder, "Really. I never had a doubt that we'd be together forever." They both looked over, mid embrace at Carlisle and Esme, who stood together, each with a happy expression.

"I asked Sue," Masen told them.

"You did?" Esme asked.

He nodded.

"You did?" Leah repeated Esme's question.

"Yeah," he laughed, "And Emmett went with me to pick out the ring. If you don't like we can return it."

"Are you crazy?" Leah asked excited, "I love it." She stared down at her hand that prior to the fight had been perfectly manicured.

Emmett joined them, putting an arm around both of them, "Welcome to the fam."

Leah snickered, "Thanks."

Carlisle smiled over at his son without saying much. There was a small part of him that feared how quickly Masen fell in love, but he knew that their love would be as permanent as anyone else's. He was grateful that Leah could make him so happy, and was glad to see that he was able to turn her life around, as well.

"We need a celebration toast," Emmett said, "Alice!"

"Ten steps ahead of you," she said, pouring glasses of their specially blended blood and wine, "And Esme, no excuses, you're having some. You're not preggers anymore."

Carlisle laughed, "Moderation, Alice."

"Not while we're on vacation," she handed him a glass.

Esme looked down at Alexandra in her arms, "I'll just have a sip of his."

Alice scrunched her nose, but smiled and didn't put up a fight.

"Can I have-" William started.

"I'll give ya a sip," Emmett told him, looking at Rosalie with a smile. He could tell she was about to say no, but then decided not to fight it.

When Alice was through pouring the glasses, she gathered everyone in close with her glass raised, "To happy endings!"

Everyone raised their glasses, repeating the phrase in unison.

"Congratulations Masen and Leah," she went on with a smile, "And to Carlisle and Esme... and Alexandra. Sorry we made you worry Mom."

Carlisle looked at Esme and nuzzled his face into her cheek, "Thanks for everything you do for me, Esme. I love you."

"I love you too," she told him, guiding his lips to hers, "Another wedding to plan."


	61. The End

**Hey all!... hope you have enjoyed the second story in my little series, if u can even call it that... i plan on writing a third one, just have to brainstorm a little for what's to come :) .. i will link everyone as an additional chapter on Under the Crimson Moon (aka this story) haha.. **

**If anyone wants to throw some input my way, that'd be great! .. it can be about this story, the first one.. the next one... anything! I'm really glad so many ppl enjoyed reading it, as i do so many stories on here... **

**I have a few things in mind for the next one, but anything you guys might like to see or read about could give some greeeeattt ideas! :)**

**Hope everyone enjoyed the ending!**


	62. Next Story After The Equinox

**hey... i took everyone's suggestions into consideration and plan to definitely use a lot of them.. i liked them.. some i was thinking similar things, and others were totally new ideas.. thanks so much for responding.. i appreciate it! and it makes it fun too... here's a link to my next story... i don't know if it will allow it or not.. my story is called After the Equinox.**

** s/9187517/1/**


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